₹200-crore Urban Flood Risk Management Programme for Thiruvananthapuram city

National Disaster Management Authority earmarks ₹1,800 crore for urban flood mitigation in nine cities – including Thiruvananthapuram.

The Union government has called for proposals from the State government for the implementation of a ₹200-crore Urban Flood Risk Management Programme for Thiruvananthapuram city, out of which the centre will be funding ₹150 crore and the State ₹50 crore. The capital is one among nine cities chosen for the nationwide programme to enhance the resilience of cities to flood-related disasters, considering the increasing frequency of waterlogging and flooding.

The announcement comes at a time when several low lying areas of the capital has been reeling under water-logging during heavy rainfall, even for brief spells. The situation has also rekindled the debate on Operation Anantha, the flood mitigation drive carried out in 2015, and the lack of continuity for such measures in later years.

The 15th Finance Commission had in 2022 earmarked an amount of ₹2,500 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund for urban flood mitigation for the seven most populous cities. As a continuation of this, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is now rolling out similar programmes for nine more cities at a cost of ₹1,800 crore – in which Thiruvananthapuram has been included.

‘Mix of structural and non-structural measures’

The NDMA as well as the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Development have prepared guidelines for the development of the proposals, which should be a balanced mix of structural and non-structural measures. The guidelines note that nature-based solutions which are sustainable should be preferred. The funds should also be used for storm water drainage management, capacity enhancement and operational measures such as sluice gates and bund formation for identified lakes and creation of sponge zones by laying permeable pavements in order to reduce surface runoff and help ground water recharge.

The guidelines also calls for measures for removing encroachments in areas earmarked for water bodies, which was one of the key objectives of Operation Anantha. As part of the operation, encroachments in the Pazhavangadi, East Fort, and Thampanoor stretches of crucial canals were cleared and clogged canals cleaned. Though water-logging had reduced in Thampanoor during that time, the operation to remove encroachments on drains came to a halt when some major commercial establishments came on the demolition line. Though the launch of the second phase of the operation was considered a few years back, it did not take off due to various issues. The water-logging experienced in some areas is being partly attributed to the remaining encroachments.

The proposals also should include steps for establishing early warning system to improve response mechanism during disasters as well as GIS-based flood monitoring. The city Corporation had also recently decided to entrust the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee with the task of preparing a flood mitigation master plan for the city. A team of experts from the top institute had visited the city recently as part of the preliminary studies. The terms of reference for the master plan preparation are currently being prepared.