When the rains come, our cities should not drown
Opinion: this editorial reflects the editor's view.
A cyclone alert over the Bay of Bengal and rain forecast for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have once again raised an old question: why do our cities struggle with every heavy shower? The answer is rarely rainfall alone. It is blocked drains, lost lakes, building on flood paths and weak coordination among agencies.
Governments must treat stormwater as basic infrastructure, as important as roads. That means desilting drains before the monsoon, not after the first flood, publishing a map of low-lying areas and drainage plans, and sending real-time alerts to residents. It also means enforcing building and lake-protection rules against everyone, whatever their influence. The restoration of water bodies such as Sunnam Cheruvu shows what is possible when an agency has the will to act.
Citizens have a part too. Dumping waste into drains and encroaching on public land make every flood worse. Residents' associations should report blockages quickly, and officials should respond within a stated time.
The other side
Urban planners and rights groups argue that demolition drives can fall hardest on poor families who have nowhere else to live, and that rehabilitation must come first. Others note that climate change is producing heavier bursts of rain than old drains were designed for, so funding for big upgrades will take years and large sums.
