1.4. Building structures in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar

Another one is that before the flood, it was a house and it was like that, then the local government started to elevate the road okay simply elevated the road year after year. But as a result what happened they can see that it makes the houses more vulnerable; water can easily come to house and it is really risky for them.

Elevating roads can seem like a good way to prevent flooding, but for residents, this often results in greater risk. When roads are elevated, the surrounding ground level can become lower, meaning that water has a higher chance of flowing towards homes. This can lead to more frequent flooding during heavy rains, increasing the vulnerability of houses that were once safe.

Consider a person trying to avoid puddles while walking. If they step onto a raised platform and the ground around it is lower, they are more likely to step into those puddles around them, compared to when they were on the same level with the ground. Similarly, elevated roads can inadvertently increase the risk of water reaching homes.

There is also an encroachment by on Mithi river; some people are encroaching. This is a Mithi river you can see that new constructions arise. So municipal authority actually demolished these places recently, but again new constructions are coming.

Encroachment refers to the act of illegally building on land that is not owned by the builder. In this case, people are building structures too close to or directly on the Mithi River, which can exacerbate flooding and environmental issues. Even after the municipal authority demolishes these illegal constructions, new ones continue to emerge, suggesting a persistent problem with enforcement and planning.

Think of a game of Jenga, where players build a tower by stacking blocks. If players don't follow the rules and start adding blocks outside the base, the tower becomes unstable and can easily collapse. Similarly, unauthorized constructions near rivers make the area less safe and more prone to disasters.

In 1980, it was a mangrove area totally on Mithi river, that is the road, and this is the Dharavi area, but it was actually a mangrove area. In 1990 in the early 1990s or late 1980s, some settlements have come, especially the construction workers; they started to build temporary houses, in 1995 that is also increasing you can see again 2000, 2005, and 2013.

The land where Rajiv Gandhi Nagar now lies was once a natural mangrove area, which helps to protect against flooding and erosion. However, as construction workers began settling here in the late 1980s, temporary houses were built, leading to the development of a community. Over the years, this area has transformed significantly, leading to increased human activity and infrastructure but also to potential vulnerabilities related to flooding.

Imagine a forest being cut down to build houses. Initially, the forest provides stability and protection, but as houses replace trees, the soil erodes, and the area becomes prone to flooding. The same has happened in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, where natural protections were replaced by human settlements.

The flood level in 2005 and these areas, the red mark areas close to the Mithi river, these areas were around six to ten feet of water, six to ten feet that is more than a human height and also they had two to five feet in most parts and close to the road they were not much suffered, only one feet of water. In waterlogging, they were facing annual waterlogging in these series, and you can see here that most of the building most of the houses they face this one to two feet waterlogging annually.

During the flood of 2005, some areas experienced water levels between six to ten feet, which is higher than most people. This level of flooding caused severe damage to homes and infrastructure. Annually, many houses face waterlogging, where standing water remains in the area for several hours due to inadequate drainage, leading to property damage and health risks.

Picture a bathtub filling up with water. If the drain is clogged, the water overflows and can make a mess everywhere. Similarly, if areas near Rajiv Gandhi Nagar cannot drain water effectively, they end up with dangerous levels of water during floods.

After we finish this exercise of connecting many more mappings and all we ask people that hey please mark us that how you involved into this project of risk mapping, was it successful or not. So most of the cases we did very well like early engagement, representation of just stakeholder, continuity engagements clear and agreed object.

Risk mapping involves community members in identifying and assessing potential risks in their area. Following the exercise, participants reflected on their involvement and noted several successes, such as active engagement of stakeholders, which suggests that when communities are involved, they can provide valuable insights and improve safety measures.

Think of organizing a school project with a group of friends. By collaborating and sharing ideas, everyone contributes to the success of the project. Similarly, involving the community in risk mapping allows for a collective effort to address and reduce risks in their area.

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