Over the last few years, the media has frequently highlighted the grave flood situations in many regions, often placing the blame squarely on climate change and the lack of preventive actions by urban local bodies. While there’s no denying the impact of climate change and the lax attitude of urban local bodies in desilting drains, a deeper introspection reveals another critical factor: the rampant encroachment of floodplains and lake areas across almost all rivers in India, coupled with a shortsighted approach in planning new urban developments by obliterating natural drainage to create more urban spaces.
During my tenure at DHI, we conducted a study on a small but environmentally crucial lake in Tamil Nadu. This lake had completely dried up because all its inflows were diverted to the fields of a locally influential family. Later, in my independent capacity, I worked on a consultancy project in Uttar Pradesh, where I visited a site with a siphon spillway designed by the legendary Sir Visvesvaraya. To my astonishment, the Executive Engineer expressed frustration over the spillway’s perfect functioning, as it became operational at the designed water level—much to the annoyance of those who had encroached on downstream areas.
Such instances are not isolated. Recently, I came across a headline in The Times of India, quoting a statement from the DDA that 75% of Delhi’s floodplains have been encroached upon. This encroachment is a major concern, as floodplains serve as natural buffers against floods, recharge groundwater, and maintain the region’s ecological balance. The consequences of this unchecked encroachment are already evident: frequent flooding, reduced groundwater levels, and a significant impact on biodiversity.
This raises two important questions: One, “Why are we in this state?” and two, “Where do we go from here?”
In this blog, we will explore both these aspects.
Why Are We in This State?
Rapid Urbanization:
Cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi have witnessed unprecedented urban growth over the past few decades. The population explosion has led to an insatiable demand for land, pushing boundaries into areas once considered untouchable, including natural water bodies, small natural drainage areas, natural depressions, and floodplains. The drive to accommodate the growing population, coupled with the lack of affordable housing, has resulted in unauthorized colonies sprawling across these vulnerable zones.
Weak Regulatory Enforcement:
Despite the existence of laws and regulations designed to protect floodplains, enforcement has historically been weak. Migrant laborers, often from poorer sections of society, are unable to afford proper housing, leading to the proliferation of illegal colonies in floodplain areas. Corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and political interference have allowed illegal construction to thrive. Loopholes in land acquisition and zoning regulations have been exploited, systematically degrading these critical areas.
During one of my assignments for the restoration of a lake in Tamil Nadu, we encountered instances where lands within the lake area were leased out for agricultural purposes due to a lack of coordination between revenue authorities and environmental agencies. In today’s digital age, such issues could be effectively mitigated by creating a GIS system with comprehensive attributes, ensuring that land use and environmental regulations are transparent and easily enforceable.
Economic Pressures:
The economic incentives for encroaching upon floodplains often overshadow environmental concerns. In Delhi, where land is among the most expensive in the country, the allure of converting floodplains into lucrative real estate ventures has proven irresistible. This has resulted in a surge of developments in areas that should have been preserved for their ecological importance.
Communities living downstream of dams often develop a false sense of security, believing that extreme flood events are unlikely to recur. Unscrupulous land developers exploit this complacency, selling vulnerable land in collusion with corrupt officials, only to vanish when disaster strikes, leaving occupants at risk. The complaint made by the Executive Engineer in Uttar Pradesh about the spillway’s functioning highlights how economic pressures can compromise safety and environmental integrity.
Public Apathy and Lack of Awareness:
Most citizens are unaware of the importance of floodplains and their role in the urban ecosystem. This lack of awareness, combined with the pressing need for housing, has led to a public perception that encroaching on these lands is a necessary evil. Moreover, there is often a disconnect between environmental policy and public engagement, resulting in policies that lack the political and public support needed for effective implementation.
What Can Be Done?
Given the gravity of the situation, a multi-pronged approach is essential to address the encroachment of floodplains. Solutions must be implemented across different time horizons to ensure both immediate relief and long-term sustainability.
Affordable Housing as a Solution:
Often, there is harsh talk of launching a demolition drive to evict encroached areas, but we must consider the strong human side of this issue. Can we really start a ruthless demolition campaign, displacing lakhs of people who have nowhere else to go? It seems more prudent to first create acceptable alternative accommodations that meet environmentally sound standards and provide all basic amenities before proceeding with any evictions. This underscores the urgent need for affordable housing. But how do we achieve this?
We are aware that there is a genuine lack of affordable housing for low-income groups in these cities. Many who do not reside in floodplains still live in illegally constructed houses, often in unsafe conditions, such as additional storeys added to old properties in Delhi’s rural areas without proper safety considerations. Whether in floodplains or such precarious buildings, the poor are frequently exposed to unsafe living environments.
Recently, I attended a symposium where the rapid construction of a 57-storey building in just nineteen days using precast technology was presented. This example demonstrated how factory-made components could be quickly assembled into a green building. To address the significant gap between housing availability and demand in India, we should consider adopting precast construction methods, albeit with more modest heights of 10-15 storeys. Given the need for substantial investment and the scarcity of available land, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model could be a viable solution to facilitate the rapid deployment of such housing. While the specifics of the model can be worked out, the basic idea would be to lease vacant government land in the city to PPP companies at reasonable rates, allowing them to rent the accommodation to weaker sections of society at affordable rates. In my opinion, such accommodation should not grant ownership rights to the occupants, as previous experience has shown that the temptation to make quick money by illegally selling the property is so strong that many allottees sell it within a few years of allotment and return to hutments.
Restoration and Sustainability:
Once affordable housing is in place, the following steps should be taken in a time-bound and phased manner:
- Demolition of Encroachments: With proper housing alternatives available, strict action can be taken to clear encroachments.
- Strict Enforcement of Existing Laws: The laws should be strengthened to ensure zero tolerance for future encroachments, with prompt action against violators.
- Restoration Projects: Restoration of floodplains to provide the necessary natural protection against flooding, recharge groundwater, and restore ecological balance is crucial. This should involve coordinated efforts under expert ecological advice to reintroduce and sustain lost native species through the development of biodiversity parks and other ecological restoration projects in floodplains.
Public Engagement and Education:
To foster public awareness and engagement, government agencies should partner with NGOs, CBOs, and RWAs to conduct regular education campaigns and community partnerships for restoration efforts. This will enhance public understanding and involvement in preserving critical areas.
Policy and Regulatory Framework:
The following suggestions are made:
- Creating a comprehensive GIS-based digital database of natural resources with all their environmental and ecological attributes.
- Mandatory risk disclosures, particularly for flooding, earthquakes, and landslides, in every property registration.
- Establishing dedicated water body authorities responsible for maintaining water bodies in their original form.
- Implementing a zero-tolerance policy for encroachment are crucial steps toward protecting these areas.
In summary, it is essential to take all necessary actions for restoring natural habitats, rehabilitating floodplains and wetlands, adopting sustainable land management practices, and involving the community in these efforts to ensure long-term ecological balance and disaster resilience.
Conclusion
To vacate the floodplains, India should first engage in a mass drive for affordable housing, followed by strict zero tolerance for encroachment in these critical areas. Drawing from China’s experience, India can develop the infrastructure, expertise, and supply chains necessary to scale up precast technology. With the right investments and government support, it is feasible to establish multiple precast factories and begin assembling multistorey housing projects in just a few weeks, revolutionizing the construction industry and meeting the housing needs of millions.
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