Why lashing rains wreak havoc annually in India’s cities

“Who is responsible for this mess?”

The question recently echoed through the financial capital of India Mumbai while thousands of residents were once again blocked, soaked and frustrated.

Strong rains brought the city to stop, and it was before the monsoon even started by beating. The roads have turned into rivers, the vehicles were broken down into the communication middle and the low districts were full of water in a few hours.

Even a newly built underground metro station could not resist the strong downpour while photos and videos of the flooded station of muddy water became viral.

The pre-mousson deluge once again exposed the fragile infrastructure of the city and aroused generalized indignation on social networks.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the richest civic organizations in India, responsible for maintaining Mumbai’s infrastructure, initially blamed the garbage problem that obstructs drains and debris from metropolitan construction, The Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

Following criticism, the BMC installed maze pumps in the areas subject to floods and began to manually eliminate drains waste to prevent a new plowman. But for many residents, the action arrived too late.

The crisis is neither new – nor unique in Mumbai.

From Delhi to the north to Bengaluru In the South, the largest cities in India flood every season of Mousson. The roads collapse, the drains overflow, the infrastructure is overwhelmed and traffic stops.

Experts blaming the urbanization quickly unforeseen, mediocre infrastructure and years of environmental negligence as a deep cause of this problem.

“The pace of urban expansion has far beyond the evolution of support infrastructure, especially in water and drainage systems,” explains Dikshu Kukreja, architect and urban planner based in Delhi.

“Many cities are based on obsolete systems designed decades ago. And in the process of uncontrolled expansion, natural drainage channels, wetlands and water bodies that have once absorbed excess rainwater have been built or neglected,” he adds.

Experts say that there is no unique solution because each city faces unique challenges and factors such as geography, population and climate must be taken into account when designing effective responses.

India receives 80% of its annual precipitation during the monsoon season, which generally starts in June and continues until September.

The monsoon is crucial for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of Indian farmers. They count on seasonal showers in certain parts of the country where the appropriate irrigation channels are absent.

But experts say that climate change has made erratic weather conditions – such as non -seasonal rains, sudden floods and droughts linked to extreme heat – a more regular phenomenon, directly affecting millions of people.

This year, the monsoon arrived a week earlier in certain parts of southern India, catching unprepared authorities.

“A depression has developed on the Center de l’Est, which has helped to achieve the current of the monsoon,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of meteorology and climate change of the Skymet weather forecasting company.

In Delhi, the Minto bridge has become a symbol of the annual chaos of the city monsoon. Almost every year, after heavy rains, a bus or a truck is stuck under the bridge – an image that highlights the city’s struggle with urban floods.

This year, Delhi has recorded his more humid may since 1901, with more than 185 mm of precipitation, according to the Department of Indian weather.

Many residents have reported damage to their property.

At least four people were killed and dozens of others were injured in one of the two heavy storms that hit the city in May, according to the media.

Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, more than 2,000 km (1,240 miles) of the capital, the problem seems different, but its deep cause is the same.

Formerly known for its network of lakes which helped to manage excess rainwater, Bengaluru saw many of these bodies of water. In their place, apartments, business centers and roads, leave the city vulnerable to floods.

“Bengaluru is made up of three large valleys through which water flows naturally. Most of the city’s lakes are located in these valleys,” explains Ram Prasad, an activist for the lake conservation.

These valleys have been initially designated as non-construction areas, but over the years, the encroachment has taken place and the subsequent changes in the law have made it possible to build infrastructure projects in the region, he says.

“When you convert the lakes – which traditionally act like flood tampons – into built areas, water has nowhere to go. So, what we see in Bengaluru today is the result of poor urban planning.”

Mr. Prasad underlines that Bengaluru, who is at the top of a hill, has never been supposed to flood and that the current situation is entirely artificial.

The violations of construction standards, in particular the construction which narrows rainwater drains or is based directly on them, have only won things, he says.

Meanwhile, Mumbai faces natural challenges because of his geography. For example, many parts of Mumbai are low and close to the sea, which makes them more vulnerable to floods during heavy rains and high tides.

But the experts say that these are human actions that have aggravated things: reduce mangroves, which act normally as natural barriers against floods and the construction of floodplaces where water is supposed to flow.

“Ventilation is systemic – it begins with planning which often does not take into account climatic variables, is exacerbated by poor execution and is aggravated by a low application of regulations,” said Kukerja. “The political will is often reactive – react to disasters rather than investing in long -term resilience.”

It’s not just a big city problem. Small cities often suffer, if not more.

During the weekend, At least 30 people died In the northeast states of India, the heavy rains sparked floods and landslides. Tens of thousands have been affected, the ongoing rescue efforts.

So, can we do something to prevent this?

“Yes,” said Kukreja, but only if it is part of a long -term coordinated strategy.

He suggests using mapping and real -time sensors to identify high -risk areas and alert communities. Predictive models can also help authorities plan better answers.

“But technology alone is not a solution, it must be associated with reactive governance and community participation,” he said.

In order for the cities of India to resist the rains, they need more than relaxing the pumps and rapid corrections. They need avant-garde planning before damage is caused.

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