Hyderabad: Tackling the effects of climate change does not feature in GHMC’s plans for controlling flooding in Hyderabad.
The city’s storm water drains are capable of handling 1.2 cm of rainfall per hour. However, rain patterns have been changing over the years due to climate change.
Weather and water resource experts say that over the years, the number of “rain days” during monsoon has come down and that sudden downpours with excessive rainfall are becoming common.
For example, between June 1 and September 10 this year, Hyderabad has seen 45 per cent less rainfall; however, on Thursday, it rained 28.5 mm, which is nearly seven times the normal rainfall for September in Hyderabad which is 4.4mm.
Such sudden surges are expected to become frequent over the years as an impact of climate change, resulting in sudden surge of rainwater in a single day, which will in turn result in inundation of vulnerable areas and also flooding in other areas.
In various cities across the world, municipalities are gearing up to improve stormwater drainage systems keeping climate change in mind.
A document by National Disaster Management Authority on urban flooding clearly warns of “increased rainfall intensity and an implied increase in flooding” as an effect of climate change.
It also mentions: “Cities/towns located inland can experience floods largely because of localised heavy rainfall within the watershed due to overwhelming of the stormwater drainage system capacity”. This is already being experienced in Hyderabad.
Mr Anant Mariganti of Hyderabad Urban Labs says, “Urban development bodies should first work together and develop a common elevation map through satellite imaging following which they can work on finding out vulnerable locations and also develop a stormwater drain channel.
