- Indian cities struggle with severe monsoon waterlogging annually.
- Outdated drainage and urban planning worsen urban flooding.
- 'Sponge City' model offers a sustainable solution for India.
The onset of the monsoon in India immediately brings the challenge of widespread waterlogging, affecting both roads and residential areas. In several regions, navigating flooded streets has become a part of daily life during the rainy season.
This recurring issue raises serious questions about infrastructure deficiencies and gaps in urban planning. Every year, the monsoon rains expose structural weaknesses and failures in municipal drainage management systems.
Monsoon Onset Triggers Chaos In Delhi-NCR
India's major urban centres are struggling to withstand even light monsoon showers, with cities like Noida and Gurugram seeing roads turn into ponds after just a few hours of rain. The initial spell of this season has already triggered road cave-ins and hours-long traffic jams.
Monsoon Exposes Mumbai's Outdated Drainage System
Mumbai, the country's financial capital, faces similar disruptions during the monsoon season due to the drainage network that has seen no significant upgrades over the years. Chronic flooding hotspots across the city remain unaddressed, leaving multiple low-lying neighbourhoods submerged and disrupting daily life with the onset of the monsoon rains.
The responsibility of keeping Mumbai free from waterlogging does not lie with municipal officials. Amid sharp criticism of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for widespread waterlogging in the city, the Bombay High Court stated that citizens are equally responsible for the crisis. While reviewing a case on the matter, the court pointed directly to encroachment and drainage issues clogged by public waste, stating that people have plundered their own homeland. Consequently, the high court emphasised that waterlogging in the financial capital is no longer the municipal body's failure.
What Experts Say?
The challenge of urban waterlogging is worsening due to a combination of climate change and infrastructure changes, according to Mayuresh Prabhune, secretary of the Pune-based Citizen Science Centre and an independent researcher on monsoon and society. Prabhune states that climate change causes heavy rainfall to occur in sudden, short bursts, sometimes reaching 100 mm in a single hour, which makes the situation increasingly severe. This is further worsened by modern urban development, which has filled, blocked, or built over historic waterways, leaving water with no room to drain.
Prabhune explains that while waterlogging still occurred 20 years ago, it was a natural process where water would accumulate in low-lying areas to form natural ponds when it could not drain away. Today, however, the situation has changed, as modern construction has disrupted these natural accumulation points.
Haphazard Urban Planning And Concrete Infrastructure Driving The Crisis
Renu Pokharna, founder of India Recycles, said that Indian cities are being planned haphazardly using a development model that is not climate-friendly.
Pokharna noted that while concrete roads and sidewalks make cities look clean and tidy, they do not absorb water, causing streets to flood during the monsoon and absorb intense heat during the summer. Instead of conserving natural water sources, urban spaces convert dried-up rivers and ponds into landfills, laying concrete over the ground's natural water absorbents and leaving no room for rainwater to drain.
This issue is further worsened by municipal bodies and private developers who seal residential areas, including sidewalks and open courtyards, with concrete. This prevents rainwater from naturally seeping into the soil, which blocks groundwater recharge and leaves drainage systems clogged.
How Can Monsoon Waterlogging Be Prevented?
To prevent monsoon waterlogging, urban design must shift from seasonal fixes to long-term, decadal-scale proactive engineering. This shift requires the regular cleaning of drains, maintenance of stormwater drainage systems, enforcement of building regulations, and the modernisation of outdated drainage networks.
As climate change causes more rainfall each year, modern cities must be structurally built to handle severe monsoon flooding. Experts emphasise that urban areas need to be built in a way that manages water before it escalates into a disaster.
What Technology Is Used Abroad?
The difference in how quickly cities recover from heavy rain is determined by infrastructure management rather than the amount of rainfall, according to urban policy advocate Arghyadeep Hatua. Hatua noted that while cities like Hong Kong receive as much or more rain than Indian cities, they recover faster. This is due to the regular maintenance of infrastructure, the enforcement of strict regulations, and the preservation of natural drainage systems.
A Look At The 'Sponge City' Model
Countries around the world are increasingly turning to the 'sponge city' concept to manage heavy rainfall by using green roofs, permeable pavements, and urban wetlands to absorb and reuse rainwater. This principle has already been widely adopted and implemented by countries such as China and the Netherlands. Experts suggest that India needs to learn from these countries and adopt the sponge city model to tackle monsoon waterlogging.