{"id":124462,"date":"2024-08-02T19:21:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T13:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=124462"},"modified":"2024-08-05T18:41:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T13:11:23","slug":"urban-floods-in-india","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/urban-floods-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Urban Floods In India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various Indian cities are<\/span><b> experiencing severe flooding, highlighting systemic issues in urban planning and drainage infrastructure.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the<\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/imd-indian-meteorological-department\/\"> India Meteorological Department (IMD)<\/a> issued a \u2018red alert\u2019 for Delhi,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> warning of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Recent Concerning Cases of India<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-124449 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/21-66acdfebe185a.webp\" alt=\"Urban Floods In India\" width=\"451\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/21-66acdfebe185a.webp 661w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/21-66acdfebe185a-300x172.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more than 15 years now,<\/span><b> Indian cities are struggling to manage monsoon rains. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maximum casualties are caused by <\/span><b>overflowing nullahs, incidents of wall or building collapse and electrocution.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Delhi:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This year, several parts of Delhi have been submerged for more than one day.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, a 26-year-old civil services aspirant was <\/span><b>electrocuted <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in an inundated street in the national capital, and the National Human Rights Commission has asked for a detailed report on the incident.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Assam:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Guwahati, Assam has faced a crippling flood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Maharashtra: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torrential rains brought lives to a standstill in several parts of Maharashtra, including Pune and Mumbai.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-124451 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/22-66acdfeb637ab.webp\" alt=\"Urban Floods In India\" width=\"301\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/22-66acdfeb637ab.webp 430w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/22-66acdfeb637ab-247x300.webp 247w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Pune, three people lost their lives after receiving an<\/span><b style=\"background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\"> electric shock<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a waterlogged part of the city.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Similarity in All Cases:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> All these cities have distinct geographical features. However, there are at least three things that are common to their flood-related woes:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Outdated Drainage Systems:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It cannot take the stress of more than normal rainfall<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Poor Planning: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning that does not account for local hydrology\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Limited Civic Response: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role of civic agencies seems limited to organising relief and rescue<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>About Urban Flooding<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> flooding of land or property <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in a built environment, especially in densely populated cities where rainfall exceeds drainage systems\u2019 capacity, is known as <\/span><b>urban flooding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Refers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/flood-prone-urban-flooding\/\"> Urban Flooding<\/a> can be defined as<\/span><b> \u2018the submergence of usually dry areas by a large amount of water that comes from sudden excessive rainfall, an overflowing river or lake, melting snow or an exceptionally high tide\u2019.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Concerning Data:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As per the data from the government, <\/span><b>over 17,000 people\u202fdied <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to floods and heavy rains in India between 2012 and 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional Provision:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As per <\/span><b>12th Schedule of the Constitution,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> urban planning including town planning, regulation of land use and construction of buildings is the function of <a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/udaan\/urban-government\/\">Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)\/ Urban Development Authorities.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>The mitigation measures for flood control and preparation of drainage plan comes under the purview of the State Government and Urban Local Bodies\/Urban Development Authorities at city level.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through schematic interventions\/ advisories.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It provides <\/span><b>financial and technical support<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the States.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Reasons behind Urban Flooding in India<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following factors are responsible for urban flooding in India:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Climate Change:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/climate-change\/\"> Global Climate Change<\/a> is resulting in changed weather patterns and increased\u00a0 intensity rainfall events occurring in shorter periods.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Example: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanization leads to developed catchments, which increases the <\/span><b>flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Urban Heat Island Effect: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the<\/span><b> NDMA, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the urban heat island effect has increased rainfall over urban areas.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The hot air <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pushes the clouds carrying rain higher as they cross the urban heat island.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat islands are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Encroachment in Low Lying Areas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The original built-up area of Indian cities has expanded and new developments are taking place in low-lying areas of Indian cities and towns due to rising land prices and less availability of land in the cities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-124452 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/23-66acdfe9d185b.webp\" alt=\"Urban Floods In India\" width=\"457\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/23-66acdfe9d185b.webp 672w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/23-66acdfe9d185b-300x263.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the time, these developments take place on encroachments over lakes, wetlands, and riverbeds.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These <\/span><b>encroachments have occurred without widening the natural drains.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Thus, flooding occurs as the capacity of the natural drains is decreased.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Sea Level Rise: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cities and towns that are near rivers, the ocean, interior cities, dams, and steep terrain are severely impacted due to sea level rise.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>For Example: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Satellite observations have revealed that the rate of sea level rise is increasing and it<\/span><b> rose by 0.11 inches from 2021 to 2022.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Faulty Drainage System: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The urban areas lack adequate drainage infrastructure capable of handling heavy rainfall events.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor planning and impermeable surfaces, such as buildings and highways, do not let water penetrate the ground and overburden the inadequate drainage systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The issue is exacerbated by <\/span><b>concretizing the drains and preventing the water from seeping to the ground.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Urbanisation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Rapid urbanisation, both planned and unplanned, is responsible for flooding.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Grey infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which includes the flyovers, widening of roads, urban settlements, <\/span><b>contribute towards urban flooding in\u00a0 waterlogged areas.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recent floods in Gurugram and Bengaluru are examples of such planning failures.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Loss of Water Bodies and Green Spaces:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A study by the<\/span><b> National Institute of Urban Affairs <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">revealed that major Indian cities have<\/span><b> lost 70-80% of their water bodies over the last 40 years.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has led to <\/span><b>reduced natural water storage capacity, increased surface runoff, and disruption of the natural water cycle.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Lack of Effective Urban Governance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the<\/span><b> 74th Constitutional Amendment Act,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> key areas such as urban planning, land use and economic development have not fully transferred to city governments as required. This leads to poor urban governance and mismanagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Improper Waste Disposal Practices Also Contribute To Flooding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illegal development and encroachment on water bodies, urban green spaces, and small woods have been observed in many cities.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This lowers the amount of water that can be stored and messes with the river&#8217;s natural flow, which increases floods after heavy rains.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Velachery Lake in Tamil Nadu<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has disappeared due to sewage discharge.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Illegal Mining:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Illegal mining of river sand and quartzite causes <\/span><b>soil erosion and reduces the water retention capacity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the waterbody increasing the speed and scale of water flow.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Example:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Jaisamand Lake-Jodhpur, Cauvery river-Tamil Nadu, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Action taken to Combat with Urban Flooding in India<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various actions taken by the Indian Government to tackle the issue of urban flooding in India are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Institutional Framework and Arrangement:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Disaster Management Act 2005 has mandated the constitution of the NDRF for the purpose of specialized response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u00a0 comprises high-level officials of the GoI, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will also deal with specified major crises.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Central Water Commission (CWC): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flood forecasts are issued by the CWC in India. It provides a near <\/span><b>real time five-day advisory flood forecast on its web portal.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>National Disaster Management Authority: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NDMA is the<\/span><b> apex body in India for disaster management.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Pre-Monsoon Phase:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><b>Preparedness:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Planning for Disaster Reduction: Focus on plans to respond to a threat or occurrence of urban flooding.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Hydro-meteorological Network<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Meteorological Network<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local Networks for Real time Rainfall data<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doppler Weather radars<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>During Monsoon Phase:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><b>Early Warning: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Measures to provide timely, qualitative and quantitative warnings to urban flooding based on the intensity of rainfall.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Effective Response and Management: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focuses primarily on emergency relief measures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Post-Monsoon Phase:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><b>Restoration and Rehabilitation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Necessary measures to stabilize the vulnerable situation and restore the utilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Various Government Initiatives to Curtail Urban Flooding:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Jal Shakti Abhiyan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is implemented with special emphasis being given for rainwater harvesting\/groundwater recharge.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Amrit Sarovar Mission:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It has been launched with an<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aim of developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav for rainwater harvesting\/recharge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Atal Bhujal Yojana: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The focus is on demand side management of ground water and accordingly water saving interventions such as use of micro irrigation (drip\/sprinkler system), shifting of cropping pattern from high water intensive crops to low water intensive crops, mulching etc. are being encouraged and incentivised.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provisions have been made for harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into the water body (which is not receiving sewage\/effluent) &#038; creation\/ strengthening of storm water drains around the water body.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ministry of Housing &#038; Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has formulated Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 for the States\/UTs. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 sq.m. or more shall mandatorily include the complete <\/span><b>proposal of rainwater harvesting.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">35 States\/ UTs have adopted the features of the Bye Laws.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Urban Flooding by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SOP identifies relevant public agencies concerned with dealing with situations arising from urban flooding, enumerates their broad responsibilities in the different phases defined, and lays down the sequence of actions to be taken by these agencies in coordination with other involved agencies and as per the<\/span><b> Emergency Support Functions (ESFs).<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Impact of Urban Flooding<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various issues are faced by Indian cities and its citizens due to urban flooding:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tangible Losses: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The losses that can be measured physically and can be assigned an economic value. These losses can be direct or indirect.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Direct:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Structural damage to buildings, property damage, damage to infrastructure, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Indirect: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Economic losses, Traffic disruption, and emergency costs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Intangible Losses: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intangible losses include loss of life, secondary health effects, and infections or damages to the environment which are difficult to assess in monetary terms since they are not traded.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Direct<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Casualties, Health effects, ecological losses, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Indirect<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Post-flood recovery process, mental damage to the people, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To tackle the challenge of rising urban flood in India, following measures are suggested:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adopt Early Alert System: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flood-related damage can be reduced if early alert systems are in place. Flood prone <\/span><b>Buenos Aires<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has installed sensors in over 30,000 stormwater drains to issue flood warnings much in advance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A Hybrid Solution:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Indian cities need to have their own <\/span><b>mix of natural and technological solutions.<\/b> <b>Stormwater drain improvement projects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in most Indian cities, including Mumbai and Pune, have progressed in fits and starts. The country\u2019s latest monsoon woes are a signal that such projects cannot be put off.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A Collaborative Approach: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The time has come to focus on institutional mechanisms to make Indian cities climate resilient. <\/span><b>Mumbai\u2019s Climate Action Plan <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">does mention the need for a collaborative mechanism involving the industry, academia and civil society organisations.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the plan\u2019s nodal agency, is yet to get its act going.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Evaluation and Focus on Sustainable Growth: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India must closely examine the over-densification of its cities and articulate a national policy that <\/span><b>disincentivises demographic density <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">beyond an<\/span><b> accepted limit based on economic, environmental, and social sustainability.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, a sizeable programme will need to be initiated to<\/span><b> invest (provide insurance too) and develop smaller cities to ease the migration and resultant burdens on the large cities.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This would encourage the growth of other cities in<\/span><b> a sustainable manner.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Awareness: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Efforts must also be made to <\/span><b>inculcate disaster risk reduction behaviour among citizens.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Men, women, and children across the country must be supported in espousing and integrating risk reduction concerns into their daily lives, livelihoods, and occupational patterns.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will require the <\/span><b>state to undertake a massive education programme for disaster risk mitigation and management.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adopt Sponge Cities Model:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is a model <\/span><b>based on the monsoon climate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and 2,000-5,000 years of experience and <\/span><b>knowledge of adaptation.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Develop Climate Atlas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Every town and city must prepare its climate plan of action and a climate atlas with active participation of the people before a development plan.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> vulnerable points must be identified,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> water contouring must be done, and the damaging of water bodies or water channels must be checked.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Capacity building<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must be done to adapt to flooding and other climate disasters. <\/span><b>Sustainable Urban Planning:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cities need to embrace sustainable planning practices that consider the natural topography and hydrology of the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Green spaces<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that can absorb excess water must be integrated into the plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Flood resilient infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must be built that includes <\/span><b>minimum engagement with the water contours.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improved Drainage Systems: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved water management methods by <\/span><b>enhancing waste collection and segregation must be practised.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>protocol of clearing the drains <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">during summer months must be followed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Utilising Geospatial Technology:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Satellite data can help to digitise informal settlements and identify levels of vulnerability for flood protection strategies.geospatial technology should be used for flood vulnerability mapping.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Rainwater Harvesting:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This should be included in all infrastructure constructions to ensure better water management.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Construction of Bioswales:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Along the sides of roads,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bioswales should be constructed so that rainwater can percolate into the ground and flow toward them.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bioswales are landscape features that collect polluted stormwater runoff, soak it into the ground, and filter out pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bioswales are <\/span><b>similar to rain gardens<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but are designed to <\/span><b>capture much more runoff <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">coming from larger areas of impervious surfaces like streets and parking lots.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Development of Blue-Green Infrastructure: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The term &#8220;Blue-Green Infrastructure&#8221; refers to a network that uses infrastructure, ecological restoration, and urban design to connect people with nature to solve urban and climate problems.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Blue denotes tanks and water bodies, while green denotes parks, gardens, and trees.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Seek Nature-Based Solutions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Implement nature-based solutions such as<\/span><b> restoration of natural wetlands, creation of urban forests, and revitalization of water bodies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that can enhance natural water absorption and reduce waterlogging.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Learn from best Practices around the World:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Australia Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An approach to planning and designing urban areas to make use of this valuable resource and reduce the harm it causes to our rivers and creeks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS)<\/b> <b>in the United Kingdom:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Aim to reduce surface water flooding, improve water quality and enhance the amenity and biodiversity value of the environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.128%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.02%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC 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systemic issues in urban planning and drainage infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":124751,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2088],"subject":[2122],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/124462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124462"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/124462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124665,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/124462\/revisions\/124665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124462"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=124462"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=124462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}