Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune .Suggest lasting remedial measures.( answer in 250 words )

"Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune .Suggest lasting remedial measures.( answer in 250 words )"

This above question was asked in UPSC Mains 2020 in G.S paper -1 .

 Answer  :- 

Floods can be defined as  ' the submergence of a usually dry area by a large amount of water that comes from sudden excessive rainfall , an overflowing river or lake , melting snow or an exceptionally high tide '. There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several year whereby major cities in India have been severely affected. The most notable amongst them are Mumbai in 2005 ,surat in 2006 , Kolkata in 2007 , jamshedpur in 2008, Delhi in 2009 and Guwahati and Delhi in 2010. The most devastating ones were Srinagar in 2014 and Chennai in 2015 , Patna and Hyderabad in 2019.

CAUSES OF URBAN FLOODING  :- 

 

1.) Lack of Drainage  :- 

         Urban flooding occurs due to lack of drainage or choked drainage in an urban area .As there is little open soil that can be used for water retention and seeping of water underground.Nearly all the precipitation is transported through the surface or the sewage system .

2.) High intensity Rainfall  :- 

          Sudden and high intensity Rainfall can cause flash floods in urban areas.Flooding occurs when the city sewage system and draining canals don't have the necessary capacity to drain away the volume of water in the rainfall. Water may even enter the sewage system in one place and then get accumulated somewhere else in the city on the streets.

3.) Unplanned Urbanisation  :- 

            The problem of flooding in urban areas is not only due to overflowing rivers , but the unplanned way in which the cities are coping with urbanisation also plays a large role .Cities have been constructed in an unplanned manner on the natural terrains.

4.) Encroachment of Basins  :- 

        Unregulated construction , buildings constructed without paying any heed to the natural topography and hydro - geomorphology adds to the damage . Constructions often take place in urban areas over natural water bodies or flood plains . This makes urban floods more of a man - made disaster.

5.) Destruction of water Bodies :- 

       Lakes can store the excess water and regulate the flow of water . However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and their conversion for development purposes has increased risk of floods .These water bodies usually acts as buffer areas against floods and other natural disasters.

Remedial Measures :- 

1.)  Creation of Sponge Cities  :- 

       Sponge cities can be constructed that can hold , clean , and drain water in a natural way by using an ecological approach . Rather than funneling rainwater away , a sponge city retains it for its own use , within its own boundaries.

2.). Rooftop  vegetation  :- 

         Rooftop vegetation can be planted for storm water management. It reduces storm water runoffs and prevents flooding.

3.) Restoration of floodplains  :- 

       Natural floodplains play a significant role in flood protection , water management and nature conservation . Floodplains retain and absorb water, thereby shielding nearby towns from the effects of heavy rainfall and flooding.

4.) Wetlands Protection and Rejuvenation :-

       Urban flooding may increase if wetlands  are not protected . Wetlands are swampy areas that can protect urban regions from flooding by absorbing excess rainwater and seeping excess water into the ground.

5.) Proper urban planning  :- 

           Low - lying areas that are prone to flooding in cities have to be reserved for parks and other low - impact human activities . There should be restriction on encroachments in natural drainage areas ; planting draught resistant and flood resistant sturdy tress in vulnerable areas can also help.

Urban floods are going to be a more common phenomenon in the wake of climate change. The National Disaster Management ( NDMA) had issued guidelines in 2010 on Urban Flood Management.Effective corrective measures are needed to tackle and overcome the floods and subsequent devastation.Urban Flood Management will not just help control recurring floods but also respond to others faults lines , provide for water security , more green spaces , and will make the cities resilient and sustainable.