Waterlogging, the great leveller – Not just metros, tier 2 and 3 cities face the menace too

• A whopping 94% of the LocalCircles respondents have said that their cities/ districts get waterlogged.
• The situation might worsen in many parts of the country as heavy rainfall is expected in the next few days.
• 58% respondents say they "suffer greatly" while 36% indicated their area is “somewhat affected” due to waterlogging.

It is the second week of monsoon in most parts of India and this is the time when love of petrichor (pleasant earthy smell that accompanies the first rain) starts turning to amaxophobia (traffic anxiety). Waterlogging becomes a part of the daily struggle and traffic snarls become nightmares. A survey by LocalCircles has revealed that waterlogging is not only a headache for the metros but Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well.

First up, what might lie in store for you?

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for various parts of the country for the next few days as heavy rainfall is expected across many parts of the country.

There is a 'red' alert for Goa and this should translate to heavier traffic. In its daily weather forecast for the metropolis, the IMD Mumbai has predicted "heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs”. Kerala too is battling incessant heavy rainfall and roads are flooded with water levels rising in rivers and dams. In the national capital, Delhi, a ‘yellow’ alert has also been issued, warning of flooding in low-lying areas leading to disruption of traffic on key roads.

What the LocalCircles survey has found

The survey received over 22,000 responses from citizens located in 293 districts of India. 48% respondents were from Tier 1, 33% from Tier 2 and 19% respondents were from Tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

A whopping 94% of the 11,229 answers indicated that most Indian cities/districts get waterlogged during the monsoon season. Out of these, as many as 58% said they "suffer greatly" while 36% indicated their area is “somewhat affected”. Only 3% of respondents indicated satisfaction with the drainage in their city or district.

Impact on daily life

How does waterlogging impact daily life? Over 11,000 respondents to the survey said that based on the experience of the past couple of years, more time in traffic jams is the prime pain point. This also leads to productivity loss, increased vehicle wear and tear, and more accidents.






The survey summarises that waterlogging on streets is not only harmful for individuals but also for public property. The videos of the waterlogged being put up on social media by citizens deserve some prompt action perhaps. If not, waterlogging scenes as witnessed repeatedly in Gurugram, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and last year in Bengaluru, will only worsen.

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