Smart Drains for Urban Flood Mitigation in Kolkata & Howrah: A Case Study

Urban flooding has emerged as one of the gravest challenges for Kolkata and Howrah, driven by heavy monsoon rains, silted canals, outdated pumps, and tidal backflow from the Hooghly River. Traditional drainage systems, largely dependent on manual interventions, have proved inadequate in addressing extreme rainfall events. This DPR proposes a Smart Drainage System that integrates IoT-enabled sensors, automated sluice gates, predictive analytics, GIS-based mapping, and SCADA dashboards. A pilot DPR in the Behala–Taratala corridor demonstrates that smart drains can reduce waterlogging duration by up to 80%, prevent tidal ingress, and deliver socio-economic savings of ₹50–80 crores annually when scaled across the metropolitan region. The report outlines system architecture, implementation strategies, comparative benefits, and phased deployment for a climate-resilient future.