Experts lay the blame on the lack of CMDA guidelines that builders have to follow to lay out a proper storm-water drainage system.
With unprecedented damage from rain and floods in Chennai, the relief and rescue efforts are yet to return normalcy to many parts of the Tamil Nadu capital.
Urban planning experts lay the blame for the disaster squarely on human incompetence, with haphazard construction along the banks of lakes blocking channels, which would have normally allowed rain water to drain out.
The floods also exposed the unplanned manner in which urban development in the city had taken place over the decades, especially the practice of building on dried-up lake beds, they say.
According to a report from the Chennai Metro Development Authority, there are over 1.5 lakh illegal structures in the city which have been responsible for the disappearance of over 300 water bodies.
These low lying lands were then turned into concrete jungles with the very concept of storm-water drains lying largely forgotten, experts say.
Experts lay the blame on the lack of CMDA guidelines that builders have to follow to lay out a proper storm-water drainage system. Here, the absence of experienced urban planners was clearly felt.
"Urban planning is of critical importance today simply because an architect can only design what is inside the project but you need an urban planner to plan out the waterways, the road infrastructure. Most people are building homes in areas which are say 1-2kms from the lake areas, so it is essential to employ urban planners who will then look at holistic development", says Sanjay Chugh, head of residential services at JLL Chennai.
Experts believe it is critical to have external agencies assess drainage systems and waterways and this disaster serves as a stark example of why it is essential for project planning to go hand in hand with city planning.