Every monsoon, our cities drown—not because of the rain, but because of neglect, greed, and short-sighted planning. Senior journalist Vipin Pubby argues that from choked drains to reckless construction and vanishing green spaces, urban India is paying the price of its own making. The question is: will we finally learn, or keep sinking?
THE ONGOING MONSOON has once again revealed the worsening condition of urban infrastructure in the country.
Flooding in urban areas, caused by choked drains and haphazard construction without proper planning or consideration for the natural flow of water, has all contributed to the mess we are forced to live in.
Another contributing factor is the increasing pace of migration from rural to urban areas, partly due to the agrarian crisis. The urban population of the country is projected to nearly double, from 480 million in 2020 to 950 million by 2050.
Rapid urbanisation without adequate planning has resulted in even newly developed cities like Gurgaon and Ghaziabad being flooded. For that matter, even a planned city like Chandigarh and its satellite towns experience waterlogging after a short spell of rain.
The high-tech cities of Bengaluru and Hyderabad, which generate huge revenues, also face flooding almost every monsoon.
The situation in older cities, which have grown organically over decades, is obviously much worse. Water entering homes and submerged roads is a common sight during the rainy season. Tragically, while these urban areas get submerged during the monsoon, they also face severe water scarcity during the summers.
Similarly, rapid urbanisation and haphazard construction in hilly areas cause widespread destruction in Uttarakhand and parts of Himachal Pradesh. The unchecked and illegal felling of thousands of trees, along with unscientific mining, has been a major contributory factor.
A World Bank report, prepared in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and titled Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India, released recently, is a wake-up call.
The aim of the report was to identify major climate impacts on Indian cities and to explore strategies for driving climate-resilient and low-carbon urban development.
The report forecasts that by 2030, Indian cities will generate 70 per cent of new employment but will face risks from flooding and extreme heat. It points out that urban sprawl into flood-prone areas and increased concrete construction are worsening flooding by reducing rainwater absorption.
The report states that just 10 to 30 per cent of road flooding can disrupt more than 50 per cent of a city’s transport system.
The World Bank also highlighted the growing intensity of the “urban heat island effect” in Indian cities, where concrete and asphalt absorb heat during the day and release it at night, leading to higher night-time temperatures. It warns that this could result in up to 300,000 heat-related deaths annually by 2050. Solutions such as urban greening and cool roofs could prevent at least half of these deaths, it adds.
Addressing another serious urban issue—pollution—the report points out that India is home to 42 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world.
The primary contributors to poor air quality include vehicular emissions, construction dust, and biomass burning, all of which lead to respiratory diseases affecting millions of urban residents.
Over the decades, governments have launched various urban renewal schemes, starting with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Other projects, such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and the more recent Smart Cities Mission, have also been introduced. However, these have proved far from adequate.
The World Bank report recommends a comprehensive mapping of ongoing initiatives and programmes to feed into detailed recommendations that define the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels.
It also stresses the need to prioritise key actions and develop clear timelines and budget requirements. The report further recommends the development of a national urban resilience programme and a dedicated funding strategy.
A significant aspect of the report is its finding that cities with greater autonomy perform better in resource mobilisation, climate resilience, and accountability.
It recommends the development of green infrastructure—such as parks, wetlands, and open spaces—to help manage rainwater and reduce urban heat. It also emphasises that cities need climate-resilient urban planning, which avoids construction on floodplains and enforces climate-aware zoning norms.
While the report advocates granting municipalities greater autonomy to design plans that address local issues, it is also imperative to keep a check on wasteful and unproductive expenditure. A case in point is the construction of decorative entry “gates” in towns like Panchkula. What purpose do these serve? Instead, public resources should be directed toward strengthening essential infrastructure. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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