ACCCRN – City Vulnerability Assessment Report 67
4.12 Conclusions
Water scarcity has emerged as the most important issue which has direct bearing with respect to climate change. Even with the current rainfall pattern, the augmentation of water supply
through Narmada Phase III is likely to alleviate the water scarcity only up to 2040 or so. The water scarcity will raise issues of competing demands especially during the drought years.
Water scarcity combined with lack of sewerage is reportedly the reason for jaundice outbreaks in summer. Anecdotal evidences indicate that jaundice is not uncommon even in
upper and middle income groups, even though it is difficult to directly associate these outbreaks only on water quality alone since contamination of food sold by informal
restaurants also may be a contributing factor. Eating out in food stalls is a common practice in Indore.
Floods, even though short lived, directly impact about 30 of the population. The frequency of floods has not changed significantly, but a combination of manmade changes including
blockage of drainage, road construction and expansion of the city have increased their incidence. Anecdotal evidence indicates increased impacts from floods and water logging.
The 2009 flood is an example of extensive impacts of flooding, which is largely related to man induced causes. Also the number of people affected will continue to increase due to
expansion of the city. The climate models indicate possibility of less rainy days and more intense precipitation events. If the rainfall increases along with dominance of extreme events,
the frequency of flood and water logging is likely to increase. Hardening the drainage and sewerage infrastructure to address such events is essential, especially during implementation
of large urban renewal programmes like JNNURM.
Indirect impacts of floods include health risks, especially vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunia. The viability of vectors is likely to be extended due to water
logging as well as increase in temperature. No direct evidences for this phenomenon is available, but the water logging will increase breeding areas for the vectors, while
temperature increase is likely to extend the viability period in to winters, which otherwise is not conducive for mosquito breeding.
About one third of the city’s households have income stability index of less than 5, majority of which are belonging to lower and mixed SECs. These households will remain vulnerable
to disasters and their resilience is likely to be low due to unsteady sources of income.
The issues facing the city including water scarcity, poor drainage and sewerage as well as flooding are symptoms of a deeper issue of management of institutions and their
responsiveness to people’s needs. While Indore city has been able to attract donor interest and funds for over two decades, it is still unable to maintain existing infrastructure and
services. Also it is unable to leverage the lessons learnt from donor funded projects. Even with early start of reform focused projects like FIRE-D funded by USAID, reforms urban
local body is in early stage of evolution. The water, sewerage and solid waste problems facing the city are expected to grow unless the focus shifts from new infrastructure building
to an integrated approach of planning, implementing and maintaining the essential infrastructure. With the resources like water costing high in financial and energy terms,
conservation focused planning and management is necessary. The solutions need to be sought through paradigm shift in management of urban institutions.
4.13 Adaptation requirements
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