Many major Indian cities are literally sinking - not merely under water, but due to compounding impacts of climate stress and poor urban planning. In Mumbai, land subsidence - driven by groundwater over-extraction, wetland loss, and relentless construction - causes a steady sinking rate of 2–3 mm per year, risking catastrophic flooding as sea levels rise . The city's deteriorating drainage infrastructure and depleted mangrove buffer further expose it to monsoonal deluge.

In Ahmedabad, satellite data revealed alarming sinking in Bopal and Vatva - up to 35 mm per year - largely due to plummeting groundwater levels caused by excessive extraction.

This subsidence, combined with intensifying heatwaves and erratic monsoon rains, is overwhelming urban drainage systems. Cities like Bengaluru and Gurgaon are repeatedly flooded due to lack of natural buffer zones - unlike Kolkata, which successfully reversed flooding through protecting wetlands and upgrading drainage systems.

Without reformed urban governance, investment in climate resilience, and adaptive infrastructure, millions in India’s metros face heightened risk of being submerged - socially and literally.