Sponge-city concept and Guwahati’s growing urban challenge

Syllabus:

GS 3:

  • Environment, Climate Change and its effects
  • Climate Mitigation strategies

Focus:

The sponge-city concept was discussed in the IE Thinc: CITIES series, focusing on Guwahati’s growing urban challenges, including flooding and drought. Experts deliberated on ways to implement sustainable urban planning to mitigate these issues.

Resilience Framwork

Issues in Urban Planning

  • Governance Gap: Guwahati’s planning is disconnected from citizen needs, with the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) sidelining the municipal corporation.
  • Broker Influence: Urban development is heavily broker-controlled, leading to haphazard construction and sub-letting of land, harming the city’s structural integrity.
  • Drainage Plan: The 1972 drainage plan was never fully implemented due to resource limitations, leaving Guwahati with a patchwork drainage system.
  • Encroachments: Open spaces were minimized in the master plan, with only 0.02% of land allocated, all of which has been encroached upon.
  • Positive Changes: Recent adoption of town planning schemes and renewed focus on drainage improvements show promise for addressing some long-standing issues.

Building a Climate-Resilient City

  • Integrated Resilience: Resilience must be central to urban planning in Guwahati, with considerations for local hazards like flooding and slope instability.
  • Gaps in Policy: Despite policy submissions, projects are implemented in piecemeal, resulting in slow progress on making Guwahati climate-resilient.
  • Simple Measures: Banning basements in flood-prone areas and analyzing slopes can prevent common issues like waterlogging and landslides.
  • Green Solutions: Enhancing green spaces for water absorption can provide natural flood mitigation, improving the city’s response to heavy rainfall.
  • Community Involvement: NGOs and local institutions should play active roles in governance, fostering local resilience and effective disaster response

Roadblocks in Implementation

  • Drainage Challenges: Guwahati’s topography, with steep hills and low-lying areas, makes effective drainage difficult, requiring substantial infrastructural investments.
  • Funding Limitations: Guwahati needs Rs 50,000 crore for infrastructure improvements, a financial challenge given the state’s limited budget.
  • Wetland Restoration: Reclaiming natural wetlands and sponges could help restore Guwahati’s pre-1960s water management systems and address the flooding issue.
  • Drainage Divide: The ridge near the district collector’s office marks the drainage divide, complicating the natural water flow across the city.
  • British Warnings: The British advised against developing Guwahati, labelling it an unhealthy location due to its challenging terrain and poor drainage.

Roadmap for a Liveable City:

  • Severe Paving: Excessive cementing in Guwahati has hindered water percolation, contributing to both floods and droughts, with no focus on groundwater recharge.
  • Traditional Methods: Rural methods, like terraced water pools, offer valuable lessons for modern urban water management in Guwahati.
  • Sponge-City Concept: The sponge-city model uses landscapes to absorb and release water, addressing urban flooding and drought by promoting natural water management.
  • Macro Solutions: Reviving catchment areas and restoring channels like the Bhoroglu River are key to addressing Guwahati’s flooding issues.
  • Green Infrastructure: At a neighbourhood level, integrating ponds and parks, with community involvement, could provide local flood and drought mitigation.

Accommodating Growth

  • Historical Understanding: City planning must recognize Guwahati’s historical context, including its natural forms and past development, to chart a sustainable future.
  • Platform for Engagement: A participatory platform is necessary for including all voices in city planning, ensuring civil society and citizen engagement.
  • Role of GMC: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation should lead city planning efforts to bridge the gap between technocrats and the people.
  • Smart City Concerns: Questions remain on how Smart City funds are utilized and who benefits, emphasizing the need for more transparency in urban development projects.
  • Local Expertise: Guwahati’s residents possess valuable local knowledge, and involving them in the planning process can shape a more inclusive, sustainable city future.

Challenges

  • Governance Disconnect: Guwahati’s urban planning excludes public participation, with the GMDA sidelining the municipal corporation, creating a governance gap.
  • Inadequate Drainage: The failure to implement the 1972 drainage plan left the city with inadequate drainage systems, resulting in frequent waterlogging.
  • Excessive Urbanization: Rapid and unplanned urban development, driven by brokers, has led to loss of open spaces and environmental degradation.
  • Financial Constraints: The estimated cost of addressing infrastructural challenges like drainage and pumping stations is prohibitive for Assam’s limited budget.
  • Erosion of Wetlands: The city’s natural water sponges, like wetlands, have been reclaimed for urban development, worsening flood and water management issues.

Building Climate-Resilient Cities in India: Key Initiatives

●      Jal Shakti Abhiyan
Focuses on rainwater harvesting and water conservation in public buildings and residential complexes to enhance water security.

●      National River Conservation Plan
Aims to reduce river pollution, providing cleaner water sources for urban areas, indirectly supporting water sustainability.

●      Decentralized Wastewater Treatment
Cities like Pune use localized sewage treatment plants, improving water quality and reducing strain on centralized systems.

●      Green Building Technologies
Utilizes energy-efficient materials and passive design strategies to enhance resilience, while minimizing energy consumption in urban infrastructure.

●      Nature-Based Solutions
Implements permeable pavements and green spaces, enhancing flood resilience and reducing urban heat island effects in cities.

Way Forward

  • Community Participation: A platform must be established to involve local citizens, civil society, and experts in urban planning processes.
  • Reviving Wetlands: Restoring natural wetlands and catchment areas can help mitigate floods and improve water absorption in the city.
  • Sponge-City Approach: Implementing sponge-city principles—using green spaces to absorb and release water—can address both flooding and drought.
  • Infrastructure Investment: Prioritizing affordable infrastructure improvements, such as modern drainage systems, is essential to combat frequent flooding.
  • Inclusive Planning: Urban planning should involve NGOs, community organizations, and marginalized groups to ensure sustainable, resilient development.

Conclusion:

Guwahati’s urban challenges, exacerbated by unplanned development and inadequate infrastructure, require integrated solutions. The sponge-city concept offers a sustainable pathway forward, blending environmental restoration with participatory governance to create a resilient urban ecosystem.

Source:

Indian Express

Mains Practice Question:

“Discuss the challenges in urban planning faced by rapidly growing cities like Guwahati. Suggest sustainable solutions like the sponge-city concept to address flooding and droughts.”

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/tag/climatechangemitigation/