Ahead of monsoon this year, which is likely to hit in the first week of June, many cities are getting prepared to deal with it. Much of the preparations are to avoid waterlogging issues. Lucknow's divisional commissioner has directed the civic agencies to repair roads, clean drains & remove electric poles from roads to prevent waterlogging. They have also been asked to check & fix water accumulation in the basement of shops. Pune MC is digging trenches & wells at the foothills to avoid waterlogging. The civic body has also provided helpline number for citizens to share photographs & locations of damaged storm water drains in their areas.

Gurugram's development authority is carrying out drills at all the underpasses to test the drainage system & check efficacy of pumps in preventing water accumulation. Last year, these drills were conducted for the first time & proved to be helpful as the underpasses remained largely unaffected. Thane MC is evacuating people living in dilapidated buildings to ensure safety during the rainy season. Pimpri-Chinchwad MC has also sent notices to the owners of such buildings, urging them to repair these structures. Telangana government is planning to implement a comprehensive monsoon safety action plan for cities across the state including creation of emergency squads.

To ensure effective implementation, cities are planning to impose stricter regulations on the officials. Mysore DC has warned of lodging FIRs against officials who fail to discharge their duties. However, the current practice of planning for monsoon preparedness is largely based on infrastructure improvement approach. Cities need to shift their focus on more holistic planning which also looks at sustainable water management, community participation, and climate resilience to enable ensure a comprehensive and balanced response to monsoon challenges, safeguarding the well-being of their residents and the long-term sustainability of their urban environments.

What is your city doing to prepare for monsoon?