Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (UPSC 2020) Urban flooding in million cities, including Hyderabad and Pune, is a result of rapid urban growth outrunning planning, drainage and ecological safeguards. Even so-called smart cities remain vulnerable because technology has often been added without protecting the natural water system beneath them. - Why cities flood: concrete surfaces reduce infiltration and greatly raise runoff; natural drains, streams, lakes and wetlands are encroached upon; stormwater channels are narrowed, covered or blocked; and solid waste, silt and sewage choke the drains. - Planning failure: many urban settlements still lack updated master plans, while land use changes ignore carrying capacity, floodplains and catchment boundaries. - Outdated drainage: city drains are often designed for older rainfall patterns and are unable to cope with intense, short-duration cloudbursts now becoming more frequent due to climate change. - Lasting remedial measures: prepare basin-wide urban flood management plans instead of piecemeal ward works. - Restore and protect lakes, nalas, wetlands and floodplains; stop encroachment and desilt drains regularly. - Adopt sponge city measures such as permeable pavements, rain gardens, bioswales, urban forests and rainwater harvesting. - Upgrade stormwater drains with climate-based design standards, real-time monitoring and strong early warning systems. - Ensure strict coordination among urban local bodies, development authorities and disaster agencies, with penalties for illegal construction and waste dumping. Urban floods are not merely a rainfall problem but a governance and land-use crisis. A resilient response must combine ecological restoration, modern drainage, stricter planning discipline and community participation to make cities safer and more water-sensitive. Originally written on September 2, 2026 and last modified on September 2, 2026.