Once celebrated for ambitious infrastructure projects and “modern” urban development, Delhi now finds itself grappling with a slow but visible decay of its public spaces. Broken footpaths, garbage-strewn roads, neglected flyovers and open drains — the city’s deteriorating civic infrastructure is a daily reminder of administrative neglect and poor maintenance. For the millions traversing the crevices of the city, navigating the capital is not just inconvenient — it’s increasingly unsafe.
Here, footpaths lie cracked, broken, or completely encroached upon. Where once were walkways, now lie construction debris, plastic waste, sewage. Across the city, from the congested by-lanes of Laxmi Nagar to suave Vasant Kunj apartment blocks, pedestrians gingerly crawl amid oncoming traffic, risking accidents due to non-existent or obstructed sidewalks.
Drain cleaning operations, often carried out before the monsoons, leave mounds of sludge lying unattended for days, creating both health hazards and traffic snarls.
Flyovers had once stood as an emblem of Delhi’s rise as a modern metropolis; now, poor upkeep and planning mars the image. Beneath the monstrosity that is the Barapullah flyover, the Mughal-era Barapullah Bridge languishes; reflecting how both heritage and modern infrastructure suffer the same indifference. Missing safety railings, stolen metal fixtures, and non-functional lighting systems cast a shadow on urban ease.
Despite the city government’s push for beautification and pedestrian-friendly reforms, the ground tells a different story. Broken infrastructure, unchecked dumping, and civic apathy continue to define much of the cityscape. What emerges is a grim portrait — a city struggles to maintain its public infrastructure; a problem which, if left unattended, threatens not just convenience, but safety, health, and dignity of citizens.
Where’s the path?
Broken and damaged footpaths across the capital are becoming a growing concern for pedestrians, as neglected maintenance and poor infrastructure continue to endanger daily commute. Walking has become difficult; damaged pavements, missing tiles, and encroachments on “footpaths” posing serious threat to feet.
From busy markets to residential areas, broken footpaths and pavements are all too common. Areas like Laxmi Nagar, Vasant Kunj, Saket, Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh, and parts of East Delhi is an exhibition of cracked pavements, exposed drainage, and uneven surfaces that pose public hazards. For the elderly, children, and those with disabilities, the situation is far worse.
In West Vinod Nagar, right next to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, a large stretch of the footpath has been fashioned into a permanent garbage dump, calling into question if the “concerned authorities” are even concerned. The severe health risks of open dumping need not be reiterated; but the sight reeks of civic mismanagement and administrative amnesia. Concrete pipes, construction rubble, plastic waste, and stagnant water line the walkways, forcing people onto the busy roads as they hesitantly walk amid highway traffic.
Residents say the problem has persisted for months despite repeated complaints. The footpath, once a safe passage for schoolchildren, the elderly and daily commuters, is now inhabited by humongous sewage pipes and garbage heaps. The broken pavement and waterlogged patches add to the woes.
“It’s become impossible to walk here,” says Seema Yadav, a local resident and mother of two. “My children have to step onto the main road on their way to school; it is extremely risky with all the fast-moving vehicles. We’ve contacted the authorities multiple times, but nothing has been done.”
The construction debris appears to have been abandoned following some incomplete civic work, but no warning signs or barricades have been installed. Local residents demand immediate clearance of the footpath and better monitoring by the Public Works Department (PWD) and civic bodies. Yet, an official response still awaited.
Environmental activist and National Green Tribunal lawyer Akash Vashishta says that pedestrians have no choice but to step on to the roads alongside vehicles, risking their lives.
Renu Sharma, a daily commuter in South Delhi, shares her ordeal: “There are places where walking on roads feel safer than trying to balance on broken walkways. It’s especially scary at nights when visibility is low.”
Resident Welfare Associations and other citizen bodies rue that civic agencies — whether the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) or PWD, responsible for upkeep of footpaths across the city — often turn a deaf ear to repeated complaints in this regard. “We have written to the authorities multiple times about the broken pavement near our block, but nothing has changed,” said Satish Vohra, resident of North East Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar.
Urban planners flag lack of coordination and poor enforcement of regulations as reasons for the deteriorating pedestrian infrastructure. “Footpaths in Delhi are often treated as secondary, while road space for vehicles gets priority,” noted Ritu Jain, a transport policy analyst. “There needs to be a clear urban mobility strategy that includes walkability as a key element.”
Despite government emphasis on making the capital more pedestrian-friendly, on-ground implementation appears to be lagging. While funds have been allocated for footpath redevelopment in parts of the city, actual progress remains sluggish.
Experts say, addressing the issue is beyond aesthetic need — it’s a matter of public safety and urban accessibility. Properly constructed and maintained walkways can reduce accidents, improve traffic flow, and promote a healthier, inclusive environment.
Until then, Delhi residents continue to face daily struggles as they navigate the fractured footpaths. Unless urgent steps are taken, the simple act of walking may remain a task for millions.
Ubiquitous trash
At Geeta Colony in East Delhi, a stretch of the road is shrouded with sludge extracted from drains. So while commuters grieve the closure of a part of the road for traffic movement, rest assured, the drains are clean.
Aman Singh, a resident of the area, says its the same sight every year. “The authorities come here before monsoons and remove silt from the drains so that there is no obstruction in drainage when the rains come on. However, putting it out on the road for days on end leads to several issues. One is the health hazard. People in the area are exposed to health risks,” Singh said.
Another resident, Manoj Sharma, mentions traffic management as another major concern. “We often see people disobeying traffic signs and jumping red lights; this disrupts smooth flow of traffic. In this situation, if one part of the road remains closed, traffic too is obviously be affected. This road also reduces the traffic load on Vikas Marg. We suggest if the authority removes the sludge after extracting it from drains, then it will benefit commuters as well as residents of the area,” Sharma said.
‘The accumulating sludge on street-corners essentially negates the purpose of desilting,’ Sharma comments cynically. He says there are high chances that the extracted sludge, set out on the streets to dry, will simply return to the drains or submerge entire roads following pre-monsoon showers; leaving only the heavy items behind.
Decaying present, Decaying past
The sleek Barapullah flyover rises high above the Delhi traffic; yet beneath its shadow, history lies is neglect. Here, the Mughal-era Barapullah Bridge still stands a mute sentinel of a bygone Delhi. While nearly 400 years separate the two structures, both the flyover and the historic bridge have met the same fate: slow, visible decay.
Years of inattention have allowed encroachments, unchecked sewage discharge, and criminal activities to take proliferate in the crevices of the mega-structures. What should have been maintained as a heritage monument and a model of urban infrastructure now rue under alarming disrepair.
A visit to the area would reveal more than just civic neglect. Locals point out that nearly all of the metal grilles and over half of the safety railings have been stolen. Underneath the flyover, iron fixtures meant to secure and support the structure have vanished, leaving fathomless tonnes of steel and concrete hanging over our heads.
The theft is systematic, not random. Scrap iron continues to hold value; these materials are often stripped away under the cover of darkness, a small but steady source of income for petty criminals who operate with little fear of legal consequence.
“Do you see the stagnant water here; and here are the piles of rubbish dumped under the flyover. The area around the old Barapullah Bridge is in a terrible condition. Authorities should take notice and act before it becomes worse,” said a resident.
These woes are not new. Repeated complaints have reached the authorities, with photographs attached, so that there is little ambiguity about the state of disregard. While minor clean-up drives have been carried out, it has done little to undo years of amnesia.
Residents and activists have repeatedly appealed for government intervention; their demand are rather basic — fencing the area, cleaning the drain, installing adaquate lights, and deploying requisite personnel to discourage theft and dumping. But these suggestions remain on paper.
What is it for, again?
The flyover connecting Nizamuddin and Ashram serves as a vital traffic artery in Delhi, branching out into major thoroughfares in south and central Delhi. However, this stretch is turning into a case in point for civic neglect owing to absent upkeep despite major fund allocations for “beautification”.
Rows of colonial-style lampposts were installed at the flyover in 2021. However, majority of these ornate lamps now remain non-functional, with many missing bulbs or fittings entirely, while others hang disconnected, making the entire lighting infrastructure redundant.
Despite the aesthetic appeal, their utility remains in question. With no visible light emission at nights, commuters navigating this crucial flyover raise concerns over lack of proper lighting and wastage of public resources. “What’s the use of spending crores on beautifying the flyover if the lights don’t work? It’s just for show,” said Pradeep Rastogi, a daily commuter who drives through the stretch.