Storm Water Drains(SWD)
What happens after one heavy shower? Is it followed by gaiety and celebrations, welcoming the rains as has been the tradition in India, or does a pall of gloom often descend on those poor souls who have nothing more to lose? Mumbai floods made headlines for two consecutive years – this was no natural calamity, but man-made, resulting from clogging of drains with plastic, silt, construction debris and other such muck. Bangalore is not far behind; the recent pre-monsoon showers already causing havoc in low lying areas.
What is wrong with the network of drains in our cities? Encroachments, garbage disposal in the drains, silting, and sewage that are let into the drains, etc. are the impediments in channeling surface water to the respective valleys causing flooding in low lying areas, like what happened last week – parts of Ejipura were submerged in water! Reports people being washed away after a heavy deluge will keep making headlines unless these impediments give way to an efficient and clear drainage network.
As a short term solution, the drains need to be de-silted and garbage removed immediately before the monsoon sets in. This would at least fix the leaks and will give us time to completely overhaul the system. The long term plan should include regulation of development in low lying areas including disposal of construction debris, an efficient system of solid waste management and a system of separating sewage network from that of the drains. Implementation of the above two in tandem is exigent to prevent a catastrophe like the Mumbai floods in Bangalore.
Manaswini,
Janaagraha