Why Our Streets Flood and What We Can Do About It: A Landscape Architect’s View
As an Indian architect with roots in Nanded, Maharashtra, I’ve seen how poorly designed road drainage systems can turn monsoons into chaos in Indian cities and small towns. My travels as an architourist to the USA and Dubai have shown me innovative drainage solutions that could transform urban infrastructure in places like Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, and smaller towns like Nanded. In Nanded, road construction began in my parents’ time during the early 2000s, aiming to modernise the town. Yet, every monsoon, waterlogged streets expose the same issues: inadequate drains, improper slopes, and clogged systems. This problem is magnified in larger cities like Pune, Mumbai, and Chennai, where rapid urbanisation amplifies drainage failures. In this blog, I analyse the specific drainage challenges in these Indian cities, propose practical solutions inspired by my observations in the USA and Dubai, and outline how these can be adapted to create resilient road infrastructure in India.
What’s the Real Problem? 
The Drainage Crisis in Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, and Small Towns
Pune: Overwhelmed Drains and Urban Sprawl
Pune’s rapid growth as an IT hub has led to unplanned urban expansion, reducing permeable surfaces and overwhelming drainage systems. In May 2025, heavy rainfall of 106.8 mm caused severe flooding, with roads like Sinhagad Road and Hadapsar becoming impassable. The city’s stormwater drains (SWDs), designed for 8 cm/hr rainfall, struggle with intense bursts of 50-60 mm/hr. Potholes and waterlogging damage vehicles, with insurance claims doubling from June to July 2024 due to flood-related issues. Low-lying areas and encroachments on natural drainage paths, like the Mula-Mutha riverbanks, exacerbate the problem.
Mumbai: High Rainfall and Coastal Challenges
Mumbai, a coastal metropolis, faces extreme monsoon rainfall (up to 800 mm in July) and a high water table, making drainage critical. The city’s ageing drainage network, combined with clogged nullahs (open drains) and reclaimed land, leads to chronic waterlogging in areas like Sion, Kurla, and Andheri. Posts on X highlight Mumbai’s SWDs handling 8 cm/hr, similar to Chennai, but struggling with high-intensity rain. The 2005 floods exposed the city’s vulnerability, and despite upgrades, encroachments and plastic waste continue to choke drains.
Chennai: Flat Topography and Flood-Prone Zones
Chennai’s flat terrain and proximity to the Bay of Bengal make it prone to flooding. In 2023, only 92% of planned rainwater drainage works were completed, leaving 324 roads in poor condition, as reported by the Arappor Movement. Areas like Velachery and T. Nagar face severe waterlogging due to inadequate drain capacity and poor maintenance. The city’s drains, upgraded to handle 8 cm/hr, are insufficient for intense storms, and encroachments on water bodies like the Cooum River worsen runoff.
Small Towns like Nanded: Neglected Infrastructure
In small towns like Nanded, drainage systems are often an afterthought. Roads built during the 2000s infrastructure push lack proper slopes or side drains. Open drains near the Godavari River get clogged with silt and waste, causing water to pool on streets like those near the bus stand. The lack of coordination between municipal bodies and contractors, coupled with rapid urban growth, mirrors the issues in larger cities but with fewer resources to address them.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
Common Problems Across Indian Cities
Inadequate Drainage Capacity: Drains in Pune, Mumbai, and Chennai are undersized for high-intensity rainfall, leading to flooding.
Improper Road Slopes: Many roads lack the recommended 3-5% camber to guide water to drains, causing pooling.
Clogged Drains: Debris, plastic, and silt block drains, reducing their effectiveness.
Urbanisation and Impervious Surfaces: Paved surfaces in cities and towns prevent rainwater infiltration, increasing runoff.
Encroachments: Illegal constructions on natural drainage paths, like rivers and nullahs, obstruct water flow.
Poor Maintenance and Coordination: Irregular cleaning and lack of integration between road and drainage planning lead to system failures.
These issues cause potholes, road erosion, traffic disruptions, and health risks from stagnant water, as seen in Nanded’s market areas and Pune’s flood-damaged roads.
What I Saw in Other Countries
When I visited cities in the USA, I noticed that their roads are built carefully, with slopes that guide rainwater into special green areas like grass trenches or gardens. These are called bioswales and rain gardens. They even use pavements that let water seep through into the ground.
In Dubai, where rains are rare but sudden, the city has smart systems. The roads have small slopes that send water into drains with filters. There are sensors that monitor water levels and pumps that turn on automatically to remove excess water. Even their parks and footpaths are designed to soak in rain.
What Can We Do in India?
You don’t need fancy tech everywhere. We can fix a lot with better planning and simple nature-based ideas:
1. Slope the Roads Properly
Make sure roads have a gentle slope so water doesn’t sit in the middle. This is basic, but often ignored.
2. Build Deeper and Better Drains
Instead of shallow open drains that clog easily, build deeper ones and clean them regularly—especially before monsoons.
3. Use Green Patches to Soak Water
Roadside gardens or grassy areas can absorb rainwater. We can also use paver blocks with gaps that let water go into the ground.
4. Protect Natural Water Paths
We should stop building over rivers, nullahs (open channels), and tanks. Instead, we can clean and protect them, maybe even turn them into small parks or walking paths.
5. Create Small Ponds or Water Holding Areas
In flood-prone zones, we can build small ponds that hold water during heavy rain. These can become green spots for the neighbourhood when dry.
6. Ask for Drain Checks
Citizens should have a way to report clogged drains. Local authorities should also do regular checks, not just before elections.
7. Involve the Community
Even simple things like cleaning up plastic waste, planting grass, or not throwing garbage in open drains can help a lot.
A Better Future Is Possible
I’ve seen that it’s not about being rich or having high-end tech. It’s about smart planning and respect for how nature works. In the USA or Dubai, they use a mix of green spaces, good design, and technology to handle rains.
In India, especially in towns like Nanded or fast-growing cities like Pune, we can do this too—by working with our land and not against it.
As a landscape architect, I dream of streets where people can walk safely even during the rains, where roads don’t break apart, and where green areas help soak up extra water. It’s not a far dream—it just needs better planning, more awareness, and everyone doing their bit.
Let’s make our cities and towns more rain-ready—by design.
#DesignForChange #BetterRoadsIndia #DrainageDesign #IndianCities #UrbanFlooding #DrainageSolutions #MonsoonIndia
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