In a first, Uttarakhand govt, IIRS to study urban flooding in Dehradun

Under this study, maps with high-resolution of around 1 cm, of the flood-prone areas will be developed by using high tech drones.

Updated on: Dec 24, 2020, 24:24:09 IST

Hindustan Times, Dehradun | By Neeraj Santoshi

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The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) is planning to undertake the first of its kind study of urban flood patterns in the state capital.

Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) is planning to undertake the first of its kind study of urban flood patterns in Dehradun. (GETTY IMAGES.)

Riddhim Aggarwal, additional chief executive officer USDMA said that it is the first time such a study is being undertaken in any city of Uttarakhand.

“Under this study, maps with high-resolution of around 1 cm, of the flood-prone areas will be developed by using high tech drones. Based on these maps which also capture land undulations on a very high resolution, we will understand the drainage and passageways for rainwater and flooding patters around Rispana (a tributary of the Song River that drains central Dehradun) and Bindal (which also flows through Dehradun and is fed by a number of springs at the base of Mussoorie ridge) rivers in Dehradun,” she said

Aggarwal said USDMA has been in negotiations with the experts from IIRS in this regard for quite sometime

“We held a meeting with the experts from IIRS on Wednesday in which we discussed various technicalities and modalities for this survey,” she said

The USDMA additional CEO said soon they will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIRS in this regard.

“The high-resolution maps of the city will give us a fair idea about the areas where severe flooding is possible due to severe rainfall and blockages (in the form of encroachments and debris) in the drainage and nullahs. The high-resolution maps will also help us in identifying those low-lying areas around rivers where flooding is possible,” she said

Aggarwal said they have a lot of data from existing snow and rain gauges. “IIRS also has good data. But this data has never been integrated with regard to understanding the pattern of urban flooding. Integrating these data and having high-resolution maps will help us in saving lives and properties due to flooding and severe water-logging in the urban landscape. After undertaking this study in Dehradun, and based on the results, we have plans to take up such studies in other cities of the state in the future,” she said.

Last year a PIL had been filed in Uttarakhand high court alleging that a large number of trees had been cut and encroachments had been made around the nullahs/storm water drains in Dehradun that flow into Rispana and Bindal rivers. The state government through an affidavit by the district magistrate Dehradun had informed the court that around 270 acres of land had been encroached on riverbeds, nullahs and seasonal streams across Doon Valley.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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