Private sector can help address urban flooding

The torrential rains across India this monsoon once again exposed the deep vulnerabilities of its cities.

- Aparna Roy

Similar scenes of rain-wrought havoc played out across many cities, including metropolitan Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Urban centres that power India’s economy are now routinely drowning under their own weight — victims of poor planning and climate complacency. With climate-crisis-induced extreme rainfall events projected to surge by 43% by 2030, urban flooding is no longer an aberration — it's chronic crisis demanding urgent and systemic action. According to a 2025 World Bank report, India suffers average annual flood-related losses of nearly $4 billion, a figure expected to rise sharply as climate risks escalate and cities expand without adequate planning.

It is, therefore, urgent for the government to devise a robust multi-pronged strategy that can strengthen stormwater management systems, restore natural drainage channels, and build climate-resilient infrastructure across urban India.

Such a strategy must harness the role of key stakeholders in addressing urban flooding. The private sector, through its technical expertise, sector-specific knowledge and ability to design cutting-edge innovations, can devise effective long-term solutions to two of the major challenges governments are faced with — lack of cost-effective technological interventions and large-scale monitoring of vulnerabilities.

A recurring challenge for municipalities is the management of stormwater and solid waste, which often clog city drains and aggravate flooding. India generates 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, of which less than 60% is collected and around 15% processed. Inadequate collection and processing of debris block drainage channels in cities.