Lok Sabha Question No. 3533 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Waterlogging Problem in Urban Areas
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Sumalatha Ambareesh

NO. 3533.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3533 TO BE ANSWERED ON AUGUST 10, 2023

## WATERLOGGING PROBLEM IN URBAN AREAS

SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that severe waterlogging in some parts of the country causing hardship to the people and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether unscientific  planning  and  poor  maintenance  of  drainage  are major reasons for the said problem in urban areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to put in place a scientific based Town and Country Planning in the country including for National Capital Territory of Delhi and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)

(a) to (c): As per 12 th  Schedule of the Constitution, Urban Planning is the function of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Urban Development Authorities. Government of India (GoI) has only advisory role in the matter.

Water supply and drainage are state subjects.  However, GoI through its various programmatic interventions assists the States/ Union Territories (UTs) in their efforts to provide basic amenities required to improve the quality of life of urban population.

Cities do get flooded during monsoon season due to various reasons, such as:

…2/-

- Poor drainage due to silting and clogging of sewerage and drainage system and lack of pre-monsoon preparation.
- Encroachment of water channels.
- Lack  of  functional  Master  Plans  without  clear  demarcation  of  existing drainage features and poor enforcement.

All the above at the city level are further exacerbated by the adverse impact of climate change.

Further,  the  Ministry  has  been  facilitating  States/  Union  Territories (UTs)  through  certain  initiatives  and  projects  to  prevent  urban  flooding/ severe water-logging, which are as follows:

- i. The Ministry has published Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation Guidelines 2014 (Chapter 6 sustainability Guidelines)  for  adoption  of  states  that  also  address  the  issues  of  Urban Flooding.
- ii. Ministry  has  published  Standard  Operating  procedures  (SOP)  for  Urban Flooding in 2017 which is an advisory and was circulated to all the States/ UTs for their adoption as per local conditions.
- iii. The Ministry under AMRUT mission is also providing Central assistance to prepare Geographic Information System (GIS) based Master plans in Cities under  Sub-Scheme  on  'Formulation  of  GIS  based  Master  Plan  for  AMRUT Cities.  The  Sub  Scheme  is  100%  centrally  funded  and  being  implemented through State Governments, with the total outlay of ₹515.00 crore.  It has three  components.  (i)  GIS  database  creation,  (ii)  GIS  based  master  plan formulation and (iii) Capacity Building. At present 461 towns in 34 States/ UTs are on board.
- iv. Storm  water  drainage  is  one  of  the  components  of  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Against total allocation of ₹77,640  crore  for  projects  under  AMRUT,  ₹2,969  crore  (4%)  has  been allocated to Storm Water Drainage.  Against this allocation, total 812 projects worth ₹2,998 crore have been taken up across 19 S tates/ U Ts. Of these, 719 projects  worth  ₹1,622  crore  have  been  completed  and  93  projects  worth ₹1,376  crore  are  under  implementation.  The  completed  projects  under AMRUT have helped in eliminating 3,319 water logging points.

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