The report, “Nine die as rain pounds Telangana for the third day” (Sept.22), shows that most of our cities are unable to withstand any sort of natural phenomenon. In this case, unplanned urbanisation is the key cause. Various low-lying areas which acted as “flood absorbers” are fast vanishing while old drainage and sewerage systems have not been overhauled. Providing rainwater harvesting systems and maintaining tanks can help mitigate the problem. However, displaying the political will is of prime importance.
Prasanth Sahoo,Visakhapatnam
