• Feroze Varun Gandhi a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh and the author of the new book, ‘The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces’ has written an article titled ‘Hill Or City, Urban Planning Cannot Be An Afterthought’ published in the Hindu on 14th February.
• In this article, he said that India’s urban planning should not be limited to an election cycle and there is a need for a multi-generational process.
• A tunnel boring equipment struck an aquifer on December 24, 2009, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, around three kilometres from the village of Selang.
• As a result, around 800 litres of water were lost every second (enough to sustain the needs of nearly 30 lakh people per day).
• The water flow decreased but never ceased after that, and soon groundwater sources started to run dry.
• Joshimath lacks a wastewater management system. Instead, widespread application of the soak-pit technique might make the problem of land sinking worse.
• The Tapovan Vishnugad dam and the Helang-Marwari bypass road are two ongoing infrastructure projects that could make things worse.

Causes of increasing land subsidence incidents in hilly urban India

• An estimated 12.6% of India’s land area is vulnerable to landslides, especially in Sikkim, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.
• According to the National Institute of Disaster Management (and highlighted in the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy, September 2019) urban policy is making this worse.
• The increasing incidents of land subsidence in hilly urban India are due to ill-conceived land use planning, driven by building bye-laws that ignore local geological and environmental factors, and construction that weakens rock formations.

Climate change

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of March 2022 has highlighted the risk Kolkata faces due to a rise in sea levels.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
• The combination of poor urban planning and climate change will mean that many of India’s cities could face devastating flooding.

Suggestions

• Local Data: Credible data on landslide risk needs to be mapped at a granular level, with additional detail and localisation.
• High-risk areas should not be allowed to expand large infrastructure, and there must be a push to reduce human interventions and adhere to carrying capacity.
• Assessment: Site development in hazardous zones needs to be assessed by a geologist, with corrective measures implemented, and steps taken to prohibit construction in hazardous areas.
• Early warning: Early warning systems and landslide action plans can also be helpful.
• Flood-Proof: Urban planners must prioritize enhancing sewerage and stormwater drain networks, desilting rivers, and building coastal walls in areas at risk of sea-level rise.
• There should be a greater focus on flood-resilient architecture, including river embankments, flood shelters, and warning systems.
• Protecting "blue infra" areas is also essential, as they act as natural sponges that absorb surface runoff and recharge groundwater.
• ‘Sponge cities’ are urban areas with abundant natural areas such as trees, lakes and parks – or other good designs intended to absorb rain and prevent flooding.
• Urban authorities should invest in simulation capacity to determine flooding hotspots and flood risk maps as rainfall patterns and intensity change.
• It is vital to take a comprehensive approach to flood-proofing India''s cities and address the impacts of climate change and poor urban planning to prevent devastating flooding.

Case studies: Urban planning

• Aizawl, Mizoram is located in Seismic Zone V and has a steep terrain, making it vulnerable to landslides during earthquakes with magnitude greater than 7 on the Richter scale.
• The city has developed a landslide action plan, updated regulations, and a cross-disciplinary landslide policy committee to guide construction activities in hazardous zones and continually update risk zones.
• On the other hand, Gangtok, Sikkim has a real-time landslide monitoring and early warning system established with the help of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, which uses sensors to assess rainfall infiltration, water movement, and slope instability.
• The seismic Zonation map of the country (state-wise) given by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been categorized into several seismic zones (Zone II to Zone V).
• Zone V is seismically the most active region, while zone II is the least.

Looking forward

• The development of urban areas in India should prioritize incorporating environmental planning, enhancing natural open spaces, and considering the impact of climate change and extreme weather.
• Disaster risk and preparedness planning should be assessed and updated, with early warning systems and a disaster management framework in place.
• Cities should have large arterial roads that allow for the movement of people and goods. This process should be viewed as a long-term, multi-generational plan, rather than limited to an election cycle.