The recent calamity in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, instigated by Cyclone Michaung, has once more underscored the susceptibility of Indian cities to climate-induced calamities. By December 4, 2023, Chennai received an overwhelming 40 cm of rainfall in just 48 hours due to the cyclone’s impact, magnifying the grave climate crisis that urban India confronts.
Cyclone Michaung’s aftermath led to the loss of over a dozen lives and extensive destruction across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Disturbing visuals emerged of residential buildings submerged and vehicles swept away in the swift currents on waterlogged streets.
While the cyclone played a significant role in the recent flooding and devastation, it wasn’t the sole cause for the scale of the calamity.
Numerous factors contribute to such flooding. Heavy rainfall, insufficient drainage systems, and the inability of rivers to manage high discharge levels are major factors. Urbanization exacerbates the situation, with encroachments on crucial water bodies and ecologically sensitive zones amplifying the impact.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its 2021 report, sounded alarms, suggesting that around a dozen Indian cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, and Visakhapatnam, could face submersion under nearly three feet of water by the century’s end.
This isn’t merely conjecture; over seven million coastal farming and fishing families are grappling with real-time consequences. Coastal erosion, coupled with escalating sea levels, poses risks to agricultural lands and the livelihoods of these communities.
Moreover, vulnerability isn’t restricted to coastal regions alone. Inland cities like Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and even Delhi have encountered floods and landslides due to erratic monsoons. Delhi, for instance, witnessed historic floods earlier, with the Yamuna river surpassing previous water levels, inundating low-lying areas, and impacting infrastructure.