Hill or city, Urban planning cannot be an afterthought

February 14, 2023

Context:

On December 24, 2009, a tunnel boring machine in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, hit an aquifer about three kilometers from Selang village which resulted in the loss of nearly 800 liters of water per second (enough to sustain the needs of nearly 30 lakh people per day).

The Problem in hilly urban India:

Land subsidence incidents in hilly urban India are becoming more common, with an estimated 12.6% of India’s land area prone to landslides.
Urban policy that ignores local geological and environmental factors is contributing to the problem.
Acquiring credible data is the first step to enhancing urban resilience towards land subsidence.
High-risk landslide areas should not be allowed to expand large infrastructure and should adhere to carrying capacity.
Hazardous zones require assessment by a geologist, evaluation of potential impact on nearby buildings, and may need corrective measures.
Gangtok, Sikkim has a real-time landslide monitoring and early warning system.
Aizawl, Mizoram has a landslide action plan with updated regulations to guide construction activities in hazardous zones, and a cross-disciplinary landslide policy committee.

Rising Flood Risk:

Flood risk is increasing in many Indian cities due to poor urban planning and climate change.
Flooding can have devastating consequences, as seen in Palava City, Panjim, and other places.
Urban planners need to prioritize enhancing sewerage and stormwater drain networks and protecting blue infra areas.
Existing sewerage networks need to be reworked and expanded to enable wastewater drainage in low-lying urban areas.
Rivers need to be desilted regularly and coastal walls constructed in areas at risk from sea rise.
Flood-resilient architecture, such as river embankments, flood shelters, and warning systems, must be implemented.
Investment in simulation capacity to determine flooding hotspots and flood risk maps is necessary.

Looking ahead:

Cities need to incorporate environmental planning and enhance natural open spaces. Urban authorities in India should assess and update disaster risk and preparedness planning.
Early warning systems will also be critical. Each city needs to have a disaster management framework in place, with large arterial roads that allow people and goods to move freely.
India’s urban journey is not limited to an election cycle. It must plan for a multi-generational process.

News Source: The Hindu