Flooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two…

Urban flooding has emerged as a severe climate-induced disaster where extreme meteorological events collide with dense, impermeable built environments.

Causes of Urban Flooding Natural drivers include high-intensity precipitation, cyclonic depressions, storm surges, and river overflow due to climate change. Anthropogenic drivers exacerbate these events through rapid concretization reducing soil infiltration, rampant encroachment on natural wetlands and floodplains, obsolete and inadequate stormwater drainage networks, unplanned urban sprawl, and solid waste choking drainage channels.

Features of Two Major Floods

1. Mumbai Floods (2005): Triggered by an unprecedented 944 mm rainfall in 24 hours coinciding with high tide. Key features included the overflow of the heavily encroached Mithi River, systemic failure of British-era stormwater drains under the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), and the total paralysis of suburban railway networks and arterial roads.
2. Chennai Floods (2015): Triggered by 345 mm rainfall in 24 hours driven by cyclonic systems. It was characterized by the sudden, mismanaged water release from the Chembarambakkam reservoir into the encroached Adyar River, the destruction of the Pallikaranai marshland, and the severe inundation of the IT corridor built over natural flood basins.

Policies and Frameworks in India Institutional governance is anchored by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, through a three-tier NDMA, SDMA, and DDMA structure aligned with the Sendai Framework; the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 provides for Urban Disaster Management Authorities for large cities. The NDMA Guidelines on Management of Urban Flooding (2010) mandate treating urban flooding as a distinct disaster, requiring dedicated urban drainage cells and early warning systems. Upgrades to stormwater infrastructure are integrated under the Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT, complemented by the National Water Policy’s focus on water-sensitive planning. States have also evolved localized frameworks, such as the Rebuild Kerala Initiative post-2018.

Way Forward Crucial gaps remain, including weak enforcement of wetland conservation laws, fragmented municipal governance, and an overarching climate adaptation deficit. Bridging these requires mainstreaming "Sponge City" designs, mandating blue-green infrastructure in master plans, and enforcing strict floodplain zoning across Indian cities.