Modelling Drainage Performance in an Indian Catchment

Abstract

Abstract Surface‐water flooding occurs frequently in low‐income urban settlements of developing countries, with impacts on public health and the local economy. In many locations, drainage systems are neither appropriate nor sustainable. A computer model of a small surface‐water drainage catchment has been developed within a slum improvement programme in Indore, India. The model was calibrated and verified against flow‐survey data, and was used to study the effects on performance of maintenance (as reflected in solids build‐up in pipes) and site grading. The results confirm the critical importance of maintenance in drainage performance and the need for construction engineers to consider drainage carefully before changing site‐grading plans. The results also suggest some general trends in drainage performance during floods.