Assessing Rainfall Patterns and their Implications on Stormwater Flows: A Water-Sensitive Urban Planning Study of Mysore City
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This study uses the Water-Sensitive Urban Planning and Design (WSUPD) paradigm to investigate the relationship between stormwater flow performance and rainfall variability in Mysore City. Stormwater stagnation and urban flooding are becoming more common in Mysore, despite the city's historical reputation for having a planned urban shape and moderate rainfall. Understanding how rainfall intensity and solid waste mismanagement interact to impact drainage system performance is a crucial research gap that the current Mysore Master Plan does not adequately address. All municipal wards, including J.P. Nagar, Jayanagar, Kuvempunagara, Vijayanagar, Gokulam, Udayagiri, and important arterial corridors, are included in the study, which combines a 35-year rainfall trend analysis with hydrological assessment and in-depth field studies. According to field observations, silt, organic matter, plastic garbage, and construction debris have all accumulated widely in stormwater drains, severely reducing their flow capacity.
The results show a clear connection between drainage obstructions and solid waste buildup, which worsen flooding during periods of heavy precipitation. The study comes to the conclusion that poor drainage and waste management have a significant impact on flooding in Mysore and are not only caused by variations in rainfall. In order to improve flood resilience and ecological sustainability, it suggests integrated urban planning reforms that harmonize solid waste management, drainage infrastructure upkeep, and water-sensitive design principles with Mysore's urban growth policies.
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