A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a general statement about floods and urban floods.

Floods can be defined as ‘the submergence of the usually dry area by a large amount of water that comes from sudden excessive rainfall, an overflowing river or lake, melting snow or an exceptionally high tide’.

People living in susceptible locations suffer as a result of flooding, which can sometimes end in fatalities. Not only does flooding occur, but the secondary consequence of infection also has a cost in terms of human misery, loss of livelihood, and, in extreme circumstances, loss of life.

Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanization leads to developed catchments which increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to six times.

There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years whereby major cities in India have been severely affected like in Hyderabad in 2000, Ahmedabad in 2001, Delhi in 2002 and 2003, Chennai in 2004, Mumbai in 2005, Srinagar in 2014 and Chennai in 2015.

Body

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Flash Floods:

In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time. Himalayan states further face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years.

They can occur in urban areas located near small rivers since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground.

Strategies to Tackle Urban Flooding

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

The SOP lays down, in a comprehensive manner, the specific actions required to be undertaken by various departments and agencies in a city/town and also organizations under the district administration as well as State Government for responding to urban flooding/disaster of any magnitude.

It covers the following three phases of disaster management for effective and efficient response to urban flooding:

(i) Pre-Monsoon Phase: Preparedness – Planning for Disaster Reduction.

Improving drainage system in the cities, declog existing networks, adopt better solid waste management practices, and regulate new construction in low-lying areas.

(ii) During Monsoon Phase: Early Warning System, Effective Response and Management and Relief planning and execution.

(iii) Post-Monsoon Phase: Restoration and Rehabilitation.

Conclusion

Your concluding remark should be short. You may use some of the following points.

Most of these lakes and drains in this series are either encroached or not desilted leading to flooding.

In order to check the threat of urban flooding, each city should have their Flood mitigation plans (floodplain, river basin, surface water, etc.) strongly embedded within the overall land use policy and master planning of a city.

Other Important related topics to Consider

Difference between floods and flash floods.

Impacts of Floods in the Himalayas

The drainage system of India