Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures.

Theme

T58 Urban floods

What UPSC asks in this theme

Cross-paper and frequent: why big cities (including smart ones) flood, causes, major floods (Mumbai, Chennai), and policies to tackle them.

What to cover

• Causes: encroachment of water bodies, poor drainage, concretisation, extreme rainfall
• Major floods: Mumbai 2005, Chennai 2015, Hyderabad, Pune
• NDMA urban flood guidelines, sponge cities, early warning

Writing the answer

• Name two floods with features; end with a framework of measures

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 4 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.