Delhi and Mumbai are the largest and most important cities in India, but their flood management capacity often seems weak during the rainy season. The problem of waterlogging and flooding becomes severe in these cities even with a little rainfall. In contrast, there are cities like Chennai, Vadodara, Davanagere, and Agartala that have succeeded in managing rainwater effectively with the help of technology.
Chennai also has a problem of waterlogging, but it has taken an important step under the Smart City Mission. The city first mapped 50 underpasses and started monitoring them. This helped the Municipal Corporation to install suction pumps at the right place. In this way, Chennai took timely steps to effectively handle rainwater and solved the problem of waterlogging to a great extent.
There are more than 30 low-lying areas in Vadodara where there is a possibility of waterlogging. One or two officers are on duty in the city to monitor floods. CCTV cameras have been installed at these 30 spots which track the waterlogging situation in real-time. The fire brigade office monitors floods through these cameras, which can effectively control waterlogging.
Davanagere of Karnataka is called the "Manchester" of the state. Here, first, a survey of the drains of the entire city was done. This survey revealed the drains where water used to accumulate. After this, a 69 km stormwater drainage network was built. After implementing the Command and Control Center (CCC) under the Smart City Mission, there has been no problem of waterlogging here in the last four years.
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, receives rainfall for six months of the year. It receives 200 mm of rain in a single day. The drainage system here was mapped in 2018. The city has a network of 340 km of drains and 50 km of drains have been made encroachment-free. CCC has been used here instead of flood sensors. Colored strips have been installed on electricity poles and they are monitored with CCTV cameras. If the water crosses the level of the strip, pumps to drain the water are started.
Under the Smart City Mission of the Government of India, the Command and Control Center (CCC) is used to monitor the condition of the entire city. Chennai, Vadodara, Davanagere, and Agartala have used this technology to deal with waterlogging and floods. In this system, various points are monitored through city data and CCTV cameras, and quick action is taken as per the need. The story of these successful cities shows that through the right planning and technology, even big cities can deal with the problems of floods and waterlogging. It is hoped that Delhi and Mumbai will also take steps in this direction and will be successful in handling rainwater in a better way.
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