Extreme Rainfall and Unplanned Development




In The landslide tragedy in Wayanad. Over 300 lives have been lost. is it because of climate change or not? Is the landslides and floods that we are seeing in Uttarakhand and Kedarnath about climate change or not? The cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh, where five are dead and over 50 are missing, is about climate change or not? In this blog, I want to unravel what is the link between the horrific, tragic, devastating tragedies that we are seeing all over our country, and all over the world.

What is the link to climate change? What do we need to do? And what is it that we are getting so wrong?


So the first question is, why is it about climate change? We know that climate change is about the emissions that are generated because of our use of fossil fuels. The same fossil fuel energy, whether it is coal or gas that is used to fuel all our factories, all our houses, the electricity. These emissions have led to the heat being trapped. And as a result of it, we know today that we are seeing a warmer planet. But the second link that we know is that climate change will lead to more extreme weather events. And I say this because often we think about climate change and we say, why? It's only about heat. It is not. It is about the fact that we will see more and more of what you could call weird, what you could call frequent extreme weather events. 

So to put it in another way, We used to have a flood, a cyclone once in ten years now that would become a cyclone in five years and is going to become once in a year. This then, is what you could call the new abnormal.

A report in 2023 stated that India had seen close to one extreme weather event every day in 2023.

It has also been reported that there have been record-breaking temperatures for several months and regions across the country. But now is the season of rain despair. There is a clear science of extreme rain and its connection to climate change. Scientists have modeled that as the ocean temperatures increase, the world will see more rain, but this rain will come as extreme precipitation. So we will see more rain on fewer rainy days.

Now, think about this from the context of India. It is estimated that India gets some hundred hours of rain in a year. 100 hours! Now, this is an average, but this 100 hours of rain in the year is out of the 8700 hours that are there in a full year. So we get a limited period of rain in any case or rainy days or rainy hours. Just take the month of July. According to IMD events classified as ‘very heavy rain’ have more than doubled in the last five years. This is only for July. Events that they classify as ‘extremely heavy rain’ have gone from 90 in 2020 to 193 in 2024.

Take Wayanad for example, Where we saw this horrific, heart-wrenching tragedy On July 29, the day before the tragedy struck. That district was in rain deficit On July 30th. In a few hours, it got 6% of its annual rainfall. This is a mountainous region. It's the Western Ghats. It has high rainfall. But this was 142 mm of rain. It led to this landslide, which was already seen to be a landslide-prone area.

What are the Gaps in India's Urban Planning?


1. Neglect of water body mapping: The country lacks comprehensive mapping and documentation of surface water bodies, despite being mentioned in the National Database for Mapping Attributes. The absence of such information hampers effective flood management and urban planning.

2. Inadequate early-warning system: The failure to implement a reliable early-warning system was evident during the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in 2013. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) couldn't effectively inform people about the impending floods and landslides, leading to a lack of timely evacuation measures.
3. Reactive rather than proactive approach: Urban planning authorities and government agencies only seem to recognize the importance of disaster preparedness after facing significant disasters like the Chennai Floods in 2015 and the Kerala Floods in 2018.
4. Limited local bodies' preparedness: Local governments often lack sufficient training, equipment, and facilities to handle disaster situations efficiently. The onus of disaster mitigation predominantly falls on NDMA/SDMA, highlighting the need for stronger local-level response capabilities.
5. Misuse of disaster funds: Funds allocated to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) for disaster management are sometimes misutilized for expenses unrelated to disaster management. This financial indiscipline raises concerns about the efficient utilization of resources.

What Should be Done?

1. Conduct Studies and Develop Management Plans: Conduct studies in all cities to understand catchment areas and flooding risks associated with urban water bodies and land use. Develop short-, medium--, and long-term measures to rejuvenate water bodies; Define lake and river management plans and involve local citizens in upkeep and removal of encroachments. Utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to tag local water bodies, track encroachments, and understand seasonality.
2. Invest in Early Warning Systems and Data Integration: Invest in more early warning systems, including Doppler radar, for real-time updates on changing weather patterns. Integrate local rainfall data with the Central Water Commission and regional flood control efforts. Conduct simulations for flooding hotspots, especially as rainfall patterns change.
3. Develop City-Wide Databases and Disaster Relief Mechanisms: Invest in city-wide databases to provide immediate relief in the event of a flooding-related disaster.
4. Revamp and Expand Drainage and Stormwater Networks:
5. Develop Drainage Master Plans for Cities: Survey existing pipelines (drain or stormwater) and identify water-logging locations.
6. Improve Urban Planning and Coordination: Improve coordination between agencies and institutions involved in urban water management. Raise awareness about wetland and water body conservation. Develop a well-defined urban water policy. Empower regulatory bodies like the Central Wetland Regulatory Authority with statutory powers. Encourage civic participation in urban water management.
7. Follow the recommendation by the Draft New National Water Policy: There is a need for renewed thrust on the protection and revival of traditional local water bodies in both urban and rural areas. These water bodies would form part of the urban blue-green infrastructure for improved water levels and quality, as well as flood mitigation, through specifically curated infrastructure such as rain gardens and bioswales, urban parks, green roofs green walls, etc.

Examples of Successful Initiatives to Check Urban Flooding:


1. Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) established wastewater treatment plants with end-user linkages to address limited and erratic water supply for industries.
2. Kaikondrahalli Lake in Bengaluru underwent desilting, removal of vegetation, and increasing its depth and storage capacity by 54% to combat sewage inflow and eutrophication.
3. Some countries are experimenting with the concept of Sponge Cities. Sponge City is a type of city that is designed in such a way that it acts like a sponge for rainwater. The water is absorbed and allowed to naturally filter through the soil to reach the aquifers. The aquifer recharge helps fulfill the water needs of the city.