MAINS 2016
GS1
12.5 marks
Major cities of India are becoming more vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss why major Indian cities are increasingly flooding, with causes and remedies.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Natural: intense short-spell rainfall, cyclones, high tides in coastal cities≈35 words
- 2Man-made: encroachment of lakes and wetlands, concrete surfaces, choked old drains, construction on floodplains, solid waste≈35 words
- 3Examples: Mumbai 2005, Chennai 2015, Srinagar 2014, Bengaluru 2022≈35 words
- 4Remedies: restore water bodies, storm-water master plans, early warning, sponge-city design≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
TrendNatural causesUrbanisation-related causes with examplesRemediesConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Treating it as rural/riverine flooding
- No city examples
Draw this
- Sketch of a city with blocked drains, encroached lake and floodplain construction
Value addition
- DataMumbai's Santacruz station recorded about 944 mm rain in 24 hours on 26 July 2005.IMD, 2005
- GuidelineNDMA issued separate Urban Flood Management Guidelines in 2010, treating urban floods distinct from riverine floods.NDMA, 2010
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 29 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 38 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 15 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 13 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 9 minutes, then get it checked.