Pluvial Flooding in Kolkata: A Case Study of the Major Streets in Northern, Southern and Central Kolkata
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Pluvial flooding in urban areas is a cause of recurrent stress in modern cities. With growing urbanisation, there have been unsustainable land use changes leading to a decline in the infiltration rate and a considerable increase in the surface runoff. In megacities, extensive cementation of natural cover has made periodical inundation by rainwater impossible to manage and Kolkata is no exception. Kolkata, has experienced unplanned expansion and rampant concretization as a result of large scale influx of population, making it prone to pluvial flooding. The problem is aggravated further by the natural sloping pattern of the city. In addition to these, clogging of drainage lines, siltation of the existing canals and shrinkage of the wetlands in the eastern part of the city which act as the repository of Kolkata’s storm and sewage water have worsened the scenario. In this study the major streets of North, South and Central Kolkata have been selected where water logging is a major problem during the monsoon months. Qualitative and quantitative methods along with remote sensing and GIS techniques have been used for conducting the research work. Further, measures have also been suggested for a sustainable management of the problem.
Authors: Deblina Mitra, Suranjana Banerji
Institution: Presidency University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2404465136