Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities. Telangana was a drought prone area for decades. Hyderabad being one of the drought hotspots has also been the worst affected by floods.
The Great Musi flood in 1908 in Hyderabad was devastating but the same was seen in the 2020 floods. After 112 years, the city has experienced devastating floods. In 2020 the rainfall for a week continuously led to the flooding of low-lying areas and the opening of dam gates due to the excess inflow led to the additional damage. That flood came as a revelation to the authorities who have been focussing on the infrastructure since then. And the development works carried out since then have produced good results, as the 2023 floods were less devastating.
The urban infrastructure is the main problem behind the devastating damage caused by the floods. The nala system in place in Hyderabad is one of the oldest, the renovation has not taken place or have been done without proper planning. The infrastructure thus built was for the population then. But the rapid urban migration and the need for their shelter led to the extensive construction without proper approvals. The booming of real estate business has forced many people to bring the land without genuine investigation of the land. There is a regulatory framework and laws in place which are not being followed. The corruption which is placed at every step in the system is one of the principal reasons for illegal constructions. This is why there is always excess inflow of rainwater or the low-lying areas always being submerged by the minimum percentage of rain.
Hence, there should be renovation with appropriate plans to take place. The approvals of the new constructions should not be done without proper scrutiny. Even after the approval care should be taken such that the infrastructure thus constructed is according to the rules and regulations. The infrastructure which deviates from the rules and regulations, should be warned, and demolished if necessary. When the city is growing and there would be more opportunities, there should be dynamic infrastructure to be in place as renovation for everything would be impossible.