The monsoon season in India brings both blessings and challenges every year. While it replenishes water resources and is vital for agriculture, it also poses severe risks, including widespread flooding, landslides and other natural disasters. The monsoon of 2024 exposed glaring gaps in India’s infrastructure and policy response, increasingly strained by the unpredictable rainfall patterns driven by climate change.
The monsoon season accounts for nearly 70 per cent of India's annual rainfall, which is critical for agriculture, water supply, and livelihoods. However, this blessing often turns into a disaster in poorly prepared areas. In 2023, over 1,400 deaths from monsoon-related disasters marked a significant increase from previous years, with Himachal Pradesh suffering over 200 deaths due to landslides, road collapses and flash floods.
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam faced severe flooding and damage this monsoon. The rising fatalities, including tragedies like the Wayanad landslide, highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive monsoon management strategies. Factors such as climate change, deforestation, unplanned urbanisation and inadequate infrastructure exacerbate vulnerabilities. Immediate action is essential to mitigate future risks and enhance preparedness.
Urban centres are particularly vulnerable to severe waterlogging and flooding. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru frequently experience these issues during the monsoon. In Delhi, the overflow of the Yamuna river led to large-scale evacuations and substantial damage to public infrastructure in 2023. This recurring problem is largely due to outdated and insufficient infrastructure.
For instance, Mumbai’s drainage system, built during British colonial times, was designed for a maximum rainfall rate of 25 millimetres (mm) per hour. However, recent monsoons have seen rates exceeding 50 mm per hour, leading to severe flooding of streets and homes.
Similar infrastructure failures are evident in other parts of India. Chennai’s floods in 2023, for example, were exacerbated by the loss of natural drainage channels due to unplanned urbanisation. The city’s wetlands, once natural flood buffers, have been drastically reduced, worsening waterlogging during heavy rains. These issues have highlighted the urgent need to modernise urban infrastructure to cope with increasingly erratic monsoon patterns.
Waste management, or the lack thereof, is another critical issue. In many Indian cities, uncollected garbage blocks drains, further exacerbating flooding during the monsoon. This not only causes immediate flooding but also creates long-term health hazards, as stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for diseases such as dengue and malaria. Improved urban planning and waste management practices are essential if cities are to cope with the monsoon’s challenges.
Despite the recurring nature of monsoon-related disasters, India’s policy response remains largely reactive, focusing on post-disaster relief rather than preventive measures. This is evident in the fragmented nature of water management policies spread across multiple government departments, leading to poor coordination and inefficient resource use.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued guidelines for urban flood management, but their implementation at state and local levels is inconsistent. Early warning systems exist but are often inadequate or poorly communicated, leading to delayed evacuations and increased casualties. This slow pace reflects bureaucratic inertia and a lack of political will for long-term disaster preparedness.
There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to water management that considers the entire hydrological cycle, from conservation to flood management, requiring better coordination among government agencies and greater involvement of local communities. However, the fragmented nature of current policies results in disjointed and less effective water resource management.
Climate change is increasingly recognised as a significant factor in the intensification of India’s monsoon season. Global warming is leading to more erratic and extreme rainfall patterns, resulting in more frequent and severe floods.
The recent monsoon season, with its unusual intensity and unpredictability, exemplifies this trend. Research by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology showed a notable increase in extreme rainfall events over recent decades, attributed to rising global temperatures.
Addressing the challenges posed by the monsoon requires a multifaceted approach involving infrastructure upgrades, policy reforms and climate adaptation strategies. Modernising urban drainage systems is crucial to handle increased rainfall volumes effectively.
Implementing sustainable urban drainage systems, which replicate natural processes to manage surface water, can reduce the strain on existing infrastructure. Equally important is the protection and restoration of natural water bodies and wetlands, which serve as natural flood buffers and are essential for effective water management.
Strict enforcement of land-use regulations and reversing encroachments in these critical areas should be prioritised. Strengthening India’s disaster management system is another key aspect. The NDMA’s guidelines need full implementation at state and local levels, with improved early warning systems and better coordination among agencies. Regular flood drills and community awareness programmes are vital for preparing populations for monsoon-related disasters.
Finally, India must develop and implement comprehensive climate adaptation strategies. This includes building climate-resilient infrastructure, revising building codes for future climate scenarios and planning for climate-induced migration. Public awareness and community participation are crucial, as local initiatives can significantly complement government measures.
The country’s struggle with monsoon management is complex, but with the right investments, policy reforms and a commitment to building climate resilience, the country can transform its approach to managing monsoon risks. The urgency of addressing these challenges cannot be overstated, as the risks of inaction grow with each passing season.
Amal Chandra is an author, policy analyst and columnist
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth