A study commissioned by the NITI Ayog has underlined the urgent need for expanding and remodeling the drainage system in the State Capital.
Nalas, drains, water courses and flood plains should be clearly delineated and boundaries fixed in new developments. There should be strict enforcement of relevant byelaws/regulations in the new layouts, the NITI Ayog said. An underground drainage system should be constructed to flush water from any place, whether it is at high or low elevation till the final place of discharge like the Musi river in Hyderabad’s case.
The problems in the twin cities including the October last year floods found mention in the report filed by the committee constituted by the NITI Ayog for formulation of strategy for flood management works in the entire country and river management activities and works related to border areas 2021-26. The report said Hyderabad urgently needs to expand and remodel its drainage system. Besides lakes and canals, wetlands and watersheds would play a crucial role in absorbing excess rainfall. “But regrettably, rapid urbanisation in the twin cities has resulted in loss of a large portion of the wetlands,” the report said.
Quoting an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2016, it said 3,245 hectares of water bodies were lost in Hyderabad between 1989 and 2001. In the long term, the effect of flooding due to deluges could only be mitigated if urban planners take into account the hydro-geology and ensure that construction, development and land occupation do not take place in a way that would reduce the area of wetlands.
Engineering solutions like linking all the 185 tanks in and around Hyderabad with modern technology to divert the flow of water during the deluge coupled with measures to control floor (rainwater) flow by restoring nalas and removing encroachments would help prevent flooding and inundation.
The report lamented that Hyderabad and even Telangana State did not have disaster management plans. They are not fully utilising the Doppler radar which could give advance and precise warnings. “The focus is on disaster response, even while allowing unplanned growth,” the report said.
