Lok Sabha Question No. 4426 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Urban Flood Management in Odisha
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4426 TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 27, 2025

## URBAN FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN ODISHA

NO. 4426.   SMT. SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  assessed  urban  flooding  risks  and vulnerabilities in Odisha and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of funds allocated and utilized for urban flood management projects in Odisha during the last three financial years and the current year;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  introduced  any  sustainable  drainage systems or flood-resilient infrastructure in Odisha's urban areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to implement early warning systems and flood mitigation projects in Odisha?
- ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a) to (d):   Management of urban flooding falls under the purview of the State Governments  and  the  Urban  Local  Bodies  (ULBs)/  Urban  Development Authorities at city level are responsible for maintaining the drainage and sewerage system. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through  schematic  interventions/  advisories.  It  provides  financial  and technical support to the States to strengthen Urban Planning ecosystem.

Under  Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban  Transformation (AMRUT), storm water drainage is an admissible component which involves construction  and  improvement  of  drains/  storm  water  drains  in  order  to reduce and eliminate flooding. Under AMRUT, Odisha State has not taken up any drainage project.

Under AMRUT 2.0 launched in October, 2021, rejuvenation of water bodies and wells is one of the main components. The admissible elements under this include harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into water body (which is not receiving sewage/ effluent). Under AMRUT 2.0, 137 water bod y rejuvenation projects worth ₹184.31 crore have been approved so far in Odisha.

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has published the following documents/advisory guidelines for improving urban drainage and flood management, viz.:

- i. Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014:

https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/URDPFI%20Guidelines%20Vol%20I(2). pdf

- ii. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Urban Flooding https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/SOP%20Urban%20flooding\_5%20May %202017.pdf

iii. River Centric Urban Planning Guidelines in 2021 to enable cities in the development  of  conjunctive  water  management  approaches  including nature-based solution https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/RCUP%20Guidelines.pdf

iv. Guidance Document on Creation of Rain Water Harvesting Parks https://mohua.gov.in/pdf/6566e1048ab41guidance -document-on-rainwaterharvesting-parks-final.pdf

To give further boost to the urban infrastructure sector, in the Budget 2025-26, Government has announced setting up of an Urban Challenge Fund of ₹1 lakh crore for augmentation/ upgradation/ retrofitting and improving infrastructure in urban areas through bankable projects, which may include projects in the sector of storm water drainage. This fund finances up to 25 per cent of the cost of bankable projects with a stipulation that at least 50 per cent of the cost is funded from bonds, bank loans, and Pubic Private

Partnership.

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