WILL THE FIRST MONSOON RAINS WASH AWAY THE DREAM OF VIKSHIT BHARAT: AJAY KUMAR

WILL THE FIRST MONSOON RAINS WASH AWAY THE DREAM OF VIKSHIT BHARAT: AJAY KUMAR

14-JULY-ENG 10

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------The dream of becoming a developed nation by 2047 is not merely a government target but the aspiration of 1.4 billion Indians. It promises a future where India becomes the world's third-largest economy, boasting modern cities, world-class infrastructure, and an improved quality of life. Yet, every monsoon holds up a mirror to this dream—revealing not glittering claims, but waterlogged roads, hours-long traffic jams, overflowing sewers, collapsing streets, and helpless citizens. The question is not how much it rained; the real question is why our urban infrastructure remains incapable of withstanding even standard monsoon rainfall. This year, the monsoon arrived on schedule across the country. While this brought relief to farmers, it heralded the return of the same old crisis for cities.

In Delhi, just a few hours of rain left underpasses submerged, caused massive traffic jams on major arteries, and brought daily life to a standstill in several areas. In Gurugram, approximately 115 mm of rainfall paralyzed traffic for hours, stretching from NH-48 to Sohna Road. Although the city is known for its IT companies and high-rises, every spell of rain proves that its greatest weakness is its drainage system, not the weather. Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, faces a similar plight. The same scenes play out year after year in localities like Gomti Nagar, Ashiana, Jankipuram, Aliganj, and various new housing colonies. Roads inaugurated only months prior begin to disintegrate during the first heavy downpour; asphalt washes away, potholes emerge, and in some places, the road surface itself collapses. While the city expanded rapidly, drainage planning failed to keep pace. New colonies sprang up without any thought given to where the rainwater would actually drain.

The root of the problem lies not in heavy rainfall, but in our approach to development. In India, preparations to dig up a road often begin even before its construction is complete. Today, a sewer line is laid; a few months later, a gas pipeline is installed; then power cables are laid, followed by a fiber-optic network. Each department operates independently, yet none possesses a unified plan. Consequently, roads constructed at the cost of crores of rupees are repeatedly dug up, and citizens ultimately pay the price for substandard construction. In developed countries, an integrated plan for underground utilities is formulated first, and the road is built subsequently. In India, however, the road is often constructed first, and planning is considered as an afterthought.

The most significant flaw in this entire system is the lack of accountability. The Municipal Corporation claims to clean drains; the Public Works Department handles road construction; the Development Authority manages modern colonies; and the Water Board oversees sewer improvements. Yet, when it rains, each department shifts the responsibility onto another. After all, how many engineers are suspended when a road collapses during the first rain? How many contractors are blacklisted? How many officials are held accountable? The public can hardly recall a single such instance. This is precisely why the same mistakes are repeated year after year, accompanied by fresh promises each time.

Corruption lies at the very root of this crisis. If a road is designed to last ten years but crumbles within one, it is not merely a technical failure but a waste of public funds. If water floods the streets during the first rain despite crores being spent on drain cleaning, the implication is clear: either the work was not done honestly, or the oversight mechanism failed completely. The greatest enemy of development is not a scarcity of resources, but their mismanagement. A recent World Bank report indicates that India's urban population could reach approximately 950 million by 2050, and more than half of the necessary urban infrastructure for that future is yet to be built.

The report further warns that unless cities are made climate-resilient, urban waterlogging alone will result in losses amounting to billions of dollars annually. Delhi and Lucknow are among the 24 cities analyzed in this report. Climate change has exacerbated this crisis. Incidents of extreme rainfall occurring within short timeframes are on the rise. However, it is equally true that cities have themselves destroyed their natural drains, ponds, pools, and rainwater channels. Where water was meant to seep into the ground, there is now concrete. Where there were once drainage paths, multi-story buildings now stand. When nature's path is blocked, water will carve its own way, and our roads will be the first to bear the brunt.

A developed India does not merely mean bullet trains, metros, or expressways. A developed India is one where an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman does not get stuck in a traffic jam caused by rain; where schoolchildren do not have to wade through filthy water; where a merchant's business is not halted by waterlogging; and where people are not compelled to share photos of a submerged capital on social media after the first spell of rain.

The time has come not just for announcements, but for systemic change. A scientific drainage master plan must be mandatory for every city. Coordination among all utility agencies must be ensured before road construction begins. Contractors must provide a legal guarantee regarding quality. If a road breaks down during the first rain, payments should be withheld, and the responsible officials held personally accountable. The city's old ponds, drains, and rainwater channels should be revived. Municipal bodies must undergo regular social and technical audits. Unless corruption is tackled with a heavy hand, every monsoon will wash away claims of development.

2047 is not far off. With each passing The monsoon reminds us that the path to a developed India lies not in parliamentary announcements, but along the city streets that ordinary citizens traverse every day. If Delhi, Lucknow, and other cities across the country grind to a halt with the very first rains each year, the problem lies not in the clouds, but in our policies. The dream of becoming a developed nation will only be realized when the rain brings a message of relief, not one of fear and misery.