A tale of many megacities as climate extremes expose infra planning gaps

Experts say twin challenge of infra redevelopment and climate adaptation are both out of the ambit of sparsely financed municipal corporations

Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, was once a shining example of rapid urbanisation, job generation, and the growth of new-age businesses. But everything came crashing down with the city having had to battle urban flooding the past few weeks. Overnight rain —the heaviest for September in 75 years — submerged large parts of the city, causing an estimated loss of Rs 225 crore.

But Bengaluru is not a standalone case. States and cities face a breakdown in infrastructure every year owing to extreme weather events. Climate change is causing unseasonal phenomena and exacerbating the impact of natural disasters on infrastructure in most