Lok Sabha Question No. 164 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Modernisation of Drainage Network
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Sribharat Mathukumilli

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 164 TO BE ANSWERED ON JULY 31, 2025 MODERNISATION OF DRAINAGE NETWORK

- NO. 164.  SHRI SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI: Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to

state:

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the increasing frequency and severity  of  urban  flooding  in  major  cities  due  to  extreme rainfall,  inadequate  stormwater  infrastructure  and  unplanned urbanisation and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether any city-wise mapping of flood-prone zones, outdated drainage systems and encroached natural water channels has been  undertaken  under  AMRUT,  Smart  Cities  Mission  or  any other related urban schemes and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  support  State Governments and Urban Local Bodies in modernising drainage networks, integrating sponge city principles and enforcing urban flood risk zoning in master plans; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to develop a National Urban Flood Resilience Framework to coordinate across departments and ensure climate-resilient  infrastructure  planning  and  if  so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI MANOHAR LAL)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 164 DUE FOR ANSWER IN THE LOK SABHA ON 31 ST  JULY, 2025 REGARDING 'MODERNISATION OF DRAINAGE NETWORK'.

- (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, who  are responsible for maintaining the drainage and sewerage system. Further, as per 12 th Schedule of the Constitution, Urban Planning is the function of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ Urban Development Authorities. 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.

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 (Chapter 6: Sustainability guidelines and Chapter 8: Infrastructure Planning):https:// mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/URDPFI%20Guidelines%20Vol%2 0I(2).pdf
- ii. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Urban Flooding https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/SOP%20Urban%20floodin g\_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-onrainwater-harvesting-parks-final.pdf v. Manual on Storm water drainage system, 2019 (Volume I and Volume II (https://mohua.gov.in/publication/manual-on-storm-water-drainagesystems--2019.php)

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) inter alia, focussed on storm water drainage, which involved construction and improvement of drains/ storm water drains in order to reduce and eliminate flooding and creating green spaces and parks. Under  AMRUT,  838  Storm  Water  Drainage  projects  worth  ₹3016.82 crore were approved. As reported by the States on AMRUT Portal, 809 Storm  Water  Drainage  projects  worth  ₹2,401.38  crore  have  been completed, which has resulted in elimination of 3,759 water logging points.    Under  AMRUT,  2,529  permeable  green  spaces  and  park projects worth ₹1,606.31 crore have been taken up by all States/UTs, of which, 2,464 projects worth ₹1,533.83 crore have been completed. 5,092 acre of permeable green space area developed through these projects.

Under AMRUT 2.0, proposals of the States/ UTs for 3,032 water body rejuvenation projects worth ₹6,210.66 crore and 1,684 permeable green spaces and park projects worth ₹1,078.63 crore covering 2122 acre, have been approved.

Besides  under  AMRUT  and  AMRUT  2.0  sewerage  and  septage management projects have been undertaken, which inter alia help in evacuation  of  storm  water.  Under  AMRUT,  890  sewerage/septage management projects have been grounded, which has led to creation of 21,754 km length of sewer network. Under AMRUT 2.0 so far, 586

Sewerage  and  Septage  Management  projects  have  been  approved covering 35,268 KM of sewer network. Shallow  Aquifer  Management  (SAM)  initiative  under  the  Atal Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT)  was launched as a pilot project across 9 diverse Indian cities. The initiative aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of strategic interventions in managing shallow aquifers, focusing on aquifer mapping, the construction and restoration of recharge structures, and the integration of groundwater management into urban planning frameworks.  Building  on  the  successes  and  the  lessons  learned, initiative has been taken under SAM 2.0 to scale these efforts to 75 additional cities. SAM  2.0 focuses on developing groundwater recharge plans, demonstration of variety of recharge structures, and build  knowledge  on  creating  awareness  among  city  officials  and citizens  on  importance  of  aquifer  management  in  overall  water management strategy of cities. Under 15 th Finance Commission, ₹2,500 crores has been allocated  under  the  National  Disaster  Mitigation  Fund  (NDMF)  for integrated  flood  management  solutions  in  seven  of  India's  most populous cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad  and  Pune.  National  Disaster  Management  Authority (NDMA)'s Technical Guidelines include direction to ULBs for modernising drainage, incorporate sponge city concepts and include Flood Zones in Master Plans.

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