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Infra: Lot being built, but leadership and vision key to solving basic issues

A lot of shiny new infrastructure is promised for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) in 2026. The airport at Jewar, billed to ultimately become one of the world’s largest, will open, as will the entire Namo Bharat Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor that will knit the NCR closer together.

delhi infrastructural challenges, delhi infrastructure, infrastructure, dehil infra, delhi news, India news, Indian express, current affairs“The crisis in our Capital must be fixed. There are no excuses. We are a country big enough to invest financially and politically in our capital. We need a single plan anchored by the Prime Minister’s Office to solve this crisis. We need an ambitious plan for our national capital,” Shah said.

THE CHALLENGE

Delhi’s infrastructural challenges have been known for years – roads that get submerged in rain; unreliable, uncomfortable buses and poorly drawn routes that are leading to declining usage; an unsustainable boom in the numbers of private vehicles; a proliferation of illegal and unauthorised settlements that are estimated to house three quarters of the city’s population; three massive mountains of garbage on Delhi’s skyline; the Yamuna that cannot be revived from the dead.

WAY FORWARD

A lot of shiny new infrastructure is promised for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) in 2026. The airport at Jewar, billed to ultimately become one of the world’s largest, will open, as will the entire Namo Bharat Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor that will knit the NCR closer together. Around 63 km of new Delhi Metro lines will become operational, and significant construction work will begin on the Gurgaon Metro.

But these developments will not solve the issues of broken footpaths and roads, inefficient public transport, and the polluted air that Delhi breathes every day. To make a meaningful difference, the government – all three tiers of which are now controlled by the BJP – and the people have to work together, with vision and commitment, and leadership at the highest level, say experts.

“We should be ashamed at our collective failure,” said Jagan Shah, CEO of The Infravision Foundation and former director of the National Institute of Urban Affairs, a Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs think tank.

“The crisis in our Capital must be fixed. There are no excuses. We are a country big enough to invest financially and politically in our capital. We need a single plan anchored by the Prime Minister’s Office to solve this crisis. We need an ambitious plan for our national capital,” Shah said.

 

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More

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