Characterization, Complexities, and Strategic Planning for Urban Flood Management: A case study of Gurugram

Urbanization is growing worldwide, and it is expected that two-thirds of the world's population will be in urban areas by 2050. In India, by 2050, the urban population will cross the rural population. Gurugram, a satellite city in the National Capital Region of India, is one of the few significantly growing secondary cities. Urban flooding in this city has become a big challenge as it hinders various activities and has brought life to a standstill in recent times. The increased population density, imperviousness, reduced drains capacities, and climate change has caused increased stress in terms of extreme precipitation. The complexities involved in the problem are random and unplanned urbanization, lack of capacity assessment, capacity augmentation, and real-time hydrological monitoring. This study highlights the need for increasing the sponginess in terms of low-impact development (LID), drainage capacity augmentation, and above all, holistic strategic planning for urban flood management. The study proposes a holistic plan for improving the natural Badshapur and Nazafgarh drains through desilting and maintenance before each rainy season. This also highlights the importance of local depressions or ponds in the nearby areas to act as a sponge for the city by providing detention and retention to the stormwater runoff. It is expected that the experience of this case study will help the decision makers do strategic planning to manage urban flooding more efficiently and effectively.