In the shadow of Mumbai’s constant construction, where scaffolding hangs like metallic vines and every street hums with the rhythm of development, lies a stark reality: India’s cities are growing faster than they can ensure safety. A recent five-storey building collapse in Delhi that claimed seven lives has once again thrust the question into sharp relief — what does it truly take to make India’s urban landscapes not just modern, but livable and secure?
The incident, which occurred in a neighbourhood where authorities had previously flagged safety concerns following a deadly fire that killed 23 people, underscores a troubling pattern. Between 2004 and 2020, nearly 33,000 deaths in India were attributed to building collapses, fires, and falls into uncovered pits — a grim testament to the chasm between ambition and execution in urban planning.
The Infrastructure Paradox
India stands at a crossroads. As the world’s most populous nation, it is simultaneously constructing its future and struggling to maintain its present. New airports soar into the sky, high-speed expressways carve through landscapes, and luxury towers pierce the clouds. Yet beneath this façade of progress, daily urban life in megacities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru continues to deteriorate.
Vinayak Chatterjee, founder of the Infravision Foundation and a veteran of India’s infrastructure sector, points to a constitutional amendment from 1992 that was designed to empower urban local bodies. “It remains largely unimplemented — in spirit and will,” he observes. “It is a serious matter that affects the very fabric of our urban existence.” This gap between policy and practice has left cities vulnerable, with governance structures that are often reactive rather than proactive.
Roads, Rules, and the Need for Enforcement
Rahul Goel, a transportation safety expert and professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, identifies a surprising culprit in the chaos of Indian streets: on-street parking. “People are using public space for personal use,” he argues. “Everything becomes better when you remove on-street parking.” Goel’s solution is simple yet radical — free up roads to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, reduce traffic congestion, and make walking safer.
In cities across the global south, from Bangkok to Manila, such practices are the norm. “When rules are enforced, people follow them,” Goel notes, citing the Delhi Metro as an example of orderly conduct. The contrast is striking: while metro systems operate with discipline, the streets outside remain a free-for-all, governed more by habit than bylaw.
Construction Sites: Where Compliance Collapses
The same disconnect between regulation and enforcement is evident at construction sites, where detailed guidelines for traffic management, signage, and pedestrian pathways exist on paper but are frequently ignored in practice. Geetam Tiwari, an emeritus professor at IIT Delhi, conducted an audit of highway construction projects and found widespread violations. Contractors, incentivised by payment models tied to speed rather than safety, often find it cheaper to pay fines than to adhere to standards.
“The solution requires bringing stakeholders together — resident associations, landlords, lessees, and local authorities — to conduct audits, raise awareness, and penalise those who violate safety requirements,” Tiwari suggests. Her call for collaborative oversight comes too late for the families affected by the Delhi collapse, but it may prove crucial for preventing future tragedies.
Clearing the Air: Technology Meets Accountability
Air pollution, another enduring challenge for Indian cities, offers a glimmer of hope through innovation. Ronak Sutaria, founder of Respirer Living Sciences, has developed affordable air-quality monitors now deployed in 5,000 locations across 10 cities. These devices provide real-time data that helps authorities identify pollution hotspots and prompt corrective action. “A number of sites are getting alerts and taking dust-suppression measures,” Sutaria reports. While the technology is making strides, its effectiveness depends on consistent implementation — a hurdle that remains all too familiar.
As India’s urban population is projected to double by 2050, reaching 951 million, the pressure on infrastructure will intensify. More than half of the urban infrastructure needed by then has yet to be built, according to the World Bank. The question is no longer whether cities will expand, but whether governance can evolve at the same pace.
Why it Matters
The collapse of a single building in Delhi is not an isolated tragedy but a symptom of a larger crisis — one that reflects the urgent need for systemic reform in how India plans, builds, and governs its cities. As urbanisation accelerates, the choices made today will determine whether future generations inherit thriving, sustainable cities or continue to navigate a landscape where safety depends on chance. The time for half-measures and delayed action is over; the lives at stake demand nothing less than a fundamental reimagining of urban governance.