Analysis of the Applicability of Sponge City Concept in Trivandrum City Region

Shebina Hussain

Abstract: With the process of urbanization, a lot of cities are faced with various environmental problems, many of which are associated with stormwater. To deal with these problems, Stormwater management in urban areas needs to incorporate new sustainable development concepts, and one of them is the concept of sponge city. The aim of this new concept is to create a city that absorbs rainfall and releases rainwater when required - similar to a sponge. In Trivandrum, urban floods take place because drainages are not available or are poorly built or have been blocked by disposed municipal waste and eroded soil materials. Urban waterlogging in Trivandrum occurs 3 to 6 times during monsoon with water depth of 0.6 to 1.2m, and persists for 2 to 24 hours in the central part and 3 to 4 days in the southern part of the city. For the development of a sustainable city, water management takes a major role to mitigating the water problems in Trivandrum through the sponge city concept.

Keywords: LID techniques, Sponge City Concept, Stormwater management, Urban Flooding