How to fix India’s decrepit cities
Letting them look after themselves would help a lot
Bhubaneswar has lots of greenery, a good bus system, scant signs of rubbish, and inviting public spaces around the ancient temple at its centre. The east Indian city, capital of the state of Odisha, recently acquired broad pavements, orderly parking and modern lighting. Soon it will have 24-hour drinkable tap water—a basic service that even the poshest corners of Delhi and Mumbai lack. Most Indian cities are not like Bhubaneswar.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Dirty old towns”
From the August 19th 2023 edition
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