{"id":19434,"date":"2023-12-09T18:12:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T12:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=19434"},"modified":"2023-12-09T18:45:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T13:15:15","slug":"urban-floods-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/09-12-2023\/urban-floods-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Urban Floods in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Geographical Features &amp; their Location, Changes in Geographical Features, Floods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In Context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cyclone Michaung <\/strong>recently made landfall in Andhra Pradesh causing floods in Chennai.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Reasons of Chennai Floods<\/strong><br><\/span>&#8211; Tamil Nadu\u2019s capital is located in a <strong>rain-shadow area<\/strong>, which gets most of its precipitation from the <strong>northeast monsoon<\/strong>, including <strong>cyclonic storms<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; In recent years, Chennai, like several parts of the country, has been experiencing <strong>short-duration spells of intense rainfall<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; The Chennai district administration has placed a large measure of the blame on the <strong>sea pushing back the water <\/strong>through the <strong>canals<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Urban Floods<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>About:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increased incidence of <strong>high-intensity rainfall in short duration<\/strong> is mainly responsible for urban floods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is <strong>further compounded<\/strong> by unplanned growth, encroachment of natural water bodies, poor drainage system, etc.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Urban flooding is <strong>significantly different from rural flooding<\/strong> as urbanization leads to developed catchments, which increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consequently, flooding <strong>occurs very quickly due to faster flow times.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Causes:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Weather systems: <\/strong>A special feature in India is that we have <strong>heavy rainfall during monsoons<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There are other weather systems also that bring in a lot of rain.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Storm surges can also affect coastal cities\/ towns.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dam water: <\/strong>Sudden release or failure to release water from dams can also have a severe impact.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban heat island: <\/strong>The urban heat island effect has increased rainfall over urban areas.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate Change &amp; sea level rise:<\/strong> Global climate change is resulting in changed weather patterns and increased episodes of high-intensity rainfall events occurring in shorter periods.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Then the threat of sea-level rise is also looming large, threatening all the coastal cities.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cities\/towns located on the coast, on river banks, upstream\/ downstream of dams, inland cities and in hilly areas can all be affected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consequences:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban areas are densely populated and people living in vulnerable areas suffer due to flooding, sometimes resulting in <strong>loss of life<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is not only the event of flooding but the secondary effect of exposure to <strong>infection <\/strong>also has its toll in terms of human suffering, loss of livelihood and, in extreme cases, loss of life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Urban Challenges &amp; Floods in India<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years whereby major cities in India have been severely affected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor maintenance: <\/strong>These capacities have been getting very easily overwhelmed whenever rainfall of higher intensity has been experienced.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The systems very often do not work to the designed capacities because of very poor maintenance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encroachment &amp; Habitations: Encroachment <\/strong>is a major problem in many cities and towns.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Natural streams and watercourses have formed over thousands of years due to the forces of flowing water in the respective watersheds.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Habitations <\/strong>started growing into towns and cities alongside rivers and watercourses.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a result of this, the flow of water has increased in proportion to the urbanization of the watersheds.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Loss of drains: <\/strong>Ideally, the natural drains should have been widened (similar to road widening for increased traffic) to accommodate the higher flows of stormwater.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But on the contrary, there have been large-scale encroachments on the natural drains and the river floodplains.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consequently, the capacity of the natural drains has decreased, resulting in flooding.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improper disposal systems: <\/strong>Improper disposal of solid waste, including domestic, commercial and industrial waste and dumping of construction debris into the drains also contribute significantly to reducing their capacities.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is imperative to take better operations and maintenance actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Insufficient policy attention: <\/strong>Even though urban flooding has been experienced over decades in India, sufficient attention was not given to planning specific efforts to deal with it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Government Initiatives<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Role of States &amp; ULBs: <\/strong>Management of urban flooding falls under the <strong>purview of the State Governments<\/strong> and the <strong>Urban Local Bodies \/ Urban Development Authorities <\/strong>who are responsible for maintaining the drainage and sewerage system.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Several <strong>initiatives <\/strong>have been taken by the <strong>Union Government to encourage<\/strong> groundwater recharge and other nature-based solutions to tackle urban flooding in flood-prone areas.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NDMA Guidelines: <\/strong>As a part of its mandate, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has made efforts to prepare the National Guidelines on Management of Urban Flooding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater &#8211; 2020: <\/strong>The plan has been prepared by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in collaboration with States\/UTs envisaging the construction of about 1.42 crore rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) of water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): <\/strong>GOI is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country in which special emphasis is being given for rainwater harvesting\/groundwater recharge.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amrit Sarovar Mission: <\/strong>The mission has been launched to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district of the country to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav for rainwater harvesting\/recharge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AMRUT: <\/strong>Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 Scheme, provisions have been made for harvesting the rainwater through stormwater drains into a water body (which is not receiving sewage\/effluent) &amp; creation\/ strengthening of stormwater drains around water body.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The National Water Policy (2012): <\/strong>The policy is formulated by this Ministry inter alia advocates that the conservation of rivers, river corridors, water bodies and infrastructure should be undertaken in a scientifically planned manner through community participation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban Flood Mitigation Project:<\/strong> India&#8217;s maiden urban flood mitigation project worth Rs 561 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Suggestions &amp; way ahead<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>For Chennai:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The suffering caused by the latest floods <strong>should push the state government <\/strong>to <strong>expedite the drainage revamp system<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More will need to be done to build the flood-prone city\u2019s defences. After the 2015 floods, experts had reasoned that planners should<strong> re-think construction projects on wetlands.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recently, the PM approved India&#8217;s first project to tackle urban floods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Overall:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> storage capacities of water bodies<\/strong> and water courses and\/or associated wetlands, the flood plains, ecological buffer and areas required for specific aesthetic recreational and\/or social needs <strong>must be managed <\/strong>in an integrated manner to maintain ecological balance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Urban<strong> settlements, encroachments <\/strong>and any<strong> developmental activities<\/strong> in the protected upstream areas of reservoirs \/ water bodies, key aquifer recharge areas that <strong>pose a potential threat <\/strong>of contamination, pollution, reduced recharge and those endanger wild and human life should be<strong> strictly regulated.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Daily Mains Question<\/strong><br><\/span><strong>[Q]<\/strong> What are the causes &amp; consequences of the increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India? Suggest ways to manage &amp; prevent Urban Flooding.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-9-12-2013.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syllabus: GS1\/ Geographical Features &amp; their Location, Changes in Geographical Features, Floods In Context Reasons of Chennai Floods&#8211; Tamil Nadu\u2019s capital is located in a rain-shadow area, which gets most of its precipitation from the northeast monsoon, including cyclonic storms.&nbsp;&#8211; In recent years, Chennai, like several parts of the country, has been experiencing short-duration spells [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19434"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19448,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19434\/revisions\/19448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}