Floods the new urban India normal: How to reverse the trend?

India Today

11-06-2025

Urban flooding has been the bane of Indian cities of late, and no amount of planning seems to alleviate the scourge that indiscriminately washes away homes and livelihoods. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change, including flooding, droughts and rising temperatures.Historically, river-based civilisations have seen water security as central to urban agglomeration and growth. But modern planning practices see land as the most valued resource and pay little attention to natural water systems. Despite witnessing high rates of urbanisation, India has only 4 per cent of the world's freshwater resources to meet the demands of 17 per cent of the global population, of which 11 per cent is urban. Increasing instances of urban floods and dried up lakes are manifestations of disrupted urban water systems.advertisement'Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanisation leads to developed catchments, which increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to six times. Consequently, flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times,' says a report submitted by the high level committee on urban planning in Gujarat, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month during his visit to the state.Flooding and waterlogging causes significant socio-economic losses. The World Bank warns that by 2050, urban flood damage could cost up to $1 trillion annually worldwide. During the 2022 Bengaluru floods, IT companies reported daily losses of Rs 225 crore due to employee absenteeism. Flooding significantly increases the risk of waterborne diseases. The 2019 Patna floods saw significant cases of malaria and diarrhoea while the 2005 Mumbai deluge triggered a leptospirosis outbreak.advertisement
The report says ongoing research in India indicates that built-up cover has increased by an average of 47 per cent in 0-20 km of city centres. 'It is 9 per cent in Mumbai and 127 per cent in Surat. Built-up cover increased by 134 per cent in 20-50 km from the city centre—30 per cent in Kolkata/Mumbai, 412 per cent in Pune, 46 per cent in Ahmedabad. Most of these cities have flooded repeatedly between 2015 and 2020. Paved spaces such as large parking lots, roads and underpasses are particularly prone to frequent and severe waterlogging,' says the report.The report consists of six themes, one of which is water-sensitive urban planning in cities of Gujarat. Other themes include urban mobility; planning design and implementation of complete streets; creative redevelopment of cities; inclusive cities and professional and institutional strengthening for urban local bodies. 'All recommendations in the report have been devised from evidence-based research. It is expected that domain expert of each area will lead to the implementation of all recommendations through pilot initiatives,' says Keshav Varma, chairman of the committee.India's first-ever census of water bodies, conducted by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in 2018-19 and published in 2023, enumerated over 2.4 million water bodies across states and Union territories. It revealed 83 per cent of urban water bodies in Gujarat are being used for groundwater recharge. A total of 54,069 water bodies were enumerated, of which 98.3 per cent (53,156) are in rural areas and remaining 1.7 per cent (913) in urban areas. Out of these urban water bodies, 800 are natural.advertisementThe report documents systemic mistakes and errors in approach to urban planning that results in catastrophes like urban flooding. In a 2000 aerial image, a lake in Ahmedabad is prominently visible in the Vastrapur area. 'However, in the Town Planning Scheme Bodakdev 1B, the lake was appropriated, its land use reclassified, and a proposal for Socially and Economically Weaker Sections (SEWS) housing was introduced. A 2020 aerial imagery shows that a Hatt (marketplace) had been constructed on the site, completely replacing the lake,' the report reveals. In the same duration, the report says, at least two other water bodies, Champal Talavadi and Dhoyu Talavadi, have been appropriated, 'now filled and developed as a land parcel', the report states.The report says 'Focus on Blue -Green infrastructure' is needed for water-sensitive urban planning and design. A water body atlas of urban local body and urban development areas must be mapped with ownership details and carrying capacities, and notified as water bodies. They should be restored with incentives for their conservation. Along with restoring the water bodies, the water channels connected to the lakes must be revived.advertisement'Lake redevelopment efforts often focus on just the water body, without conserving the natural streams feeding them. Such lakes would eventually dry up. Such as catchment paralysis also leads to urban flooding,' states the report.A blue-green network must be developed and the identified green spaces must be designated 'no-go areas'. Every building should contribute to the recharge of (at least) shallow aquifers. Streets and public spaces should be designed to increase the perviousness of the surface. The report also suggests a string of legislative and policy measures to ensure implementation that calls for tough decisions, whose implementation needs to be closely monitored.Subscribe to India Today Magazine