We’re living in a time of moon landings, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, and high-speed internet. India’s headlines are packed with stories of space missions, billion-dollar startups, and futuristic tech. But away from all that buzz, a different reality plays out– one that’s far less exciting but just as important.
In Delhi’s Dwarka, a small patch of broken footpath has been lying unattended for months. It’s not a meme or an exaggeration. It’s the everyday struggle of Manoj Arora, a local resident, who’s been waiting endlessly for a basic repair.
What should’ve been fixed in days is now a months-long wait, with no clear response from the authorities. It’s a small issue on the surface, but it points to a much deeper one– how routine civic concerns often fall through the cracks.
A sidewalk so small, you'd think it was a one-day fix
The issue? A damaged two-meter patch of footpath right outside a residential complex in Dwarka. At first glance, it looked like a quick job. Maybe a day or two. A week, max. “The expectation to finish the repair work was max 1 week time even with Indian standards. Actually, privately done, it's a day's job,” Arora wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He even shared photos of the spot, which has now turned ugly in the area. But days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, with no action taken. Four months, to be exact. And the footpath? Still broken. Still ignored. “The contractor has disappeared. The authorities are silent.”
Arora didn’t sit back quietly. He reached out, posted updates, and tried tagging officials to get a response. But the system stayed quiet. “The contractor has shelved the work, and there's been no activity for the last month. No authorities are listening to us. Where else should we go?” he asked in a post that clearly expressed the frustration of many urban Indians. There were no explanations, no updates, and most importantly, no progress.
Meanwhile in China, entire cities are being built
Arora couldn’t help but point out– maybe a bit sarcastically– how quickly things get built in other countries, especially in places like China. “At the same time that we hopefully repair this footpath, China would have built a 1,000-bed hospital + a ten-storey building + a bridge + a 300km fully operational railway line.”
“Don’t blame democracy for delays”
One of Arora’s most powerful remarks addressed a popular excuse often thrown around when delays happen: “We’re a democracy.” But he wasn’t having it. “Pls don't tell me that we can't build a footpath because, unlike China, we have democracy.”
This isn’t just a footpath story!
What makes this story resonate isn’t the size of the problem– it’s how familiar it feels. Whether it’s a pothole that never gets filled, a light pole that’s been broken for months, or a leaking pipe that no one fixes– every city has its own version of this sidewalk. We can build smart cities, plan bullet trains, and send satellites to space. But if we can’t fix the basics on the ground, how far are we really going?
In Delhi’s Dwarka, a small patch of broken footpath has been lying unattended for months. It’s not a meme or an exaggeration. It’s the everyday struggle of Manoj Arora, a local resident, who’s been waiting endlessly for a basic repair.
What should’ve been fixed in days is now a months-long wait, with no clear response from the authorities. It’s a small issue on the surface, but it points to a much deeper one– how routine civic concerns often fall through the cracks.
A sidewalk so small, you'd think it was a one-day fix
The issue? A damaged two-meter patch of footpath right outside a residential complex in Dwarka. At first glance, it looked like a quick job. Maybe a day or two. A week, max. “The expectation to finish the repair work was max 1 week time even with Indian standards. Actually, privately done, it's a day's job,” Arora wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He even shared photos of the spot, which has now turned ugly in the area. But days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, with no action taken. Four months, to be exact. And the footpath? Still broken. Still ignored. “The contractor has disappeared. The authorities are silent.”
Arora didn’t sit back quietly. He reached out, posted updates, and tried tagging officials to get a response. But the system stayed quiet. “The contractor has shelved the work, and there's been no activity for the last month. No authorities are listening to us. Where else should we go?” he asked in a post that clearly expressed the frustration of many urban Indians. There were no explanations, no updates, and most importantly, no progress.
Meanwhile in China, entire cities are being built
Arora couldn’t help but point out– maybe a bit sarcastically– how quickly things get built in other countries, especially in places like China. “At the same time that we hopefully repair this footpath, China would have built a 1,000-bed hospital + a ten-storey building + a bridge + a 300km fully operational railway line.”
“Don’t blame democracy for delays”
One of Arora’s most powerful remarks addressed a popular excuse often thrown around when delays happen: “We’re a democracy.” But he wasn’t having it. “Pls don't tell me that we can't build a footpath because, unlike China, we have democracy.”
This isn’t just a footpath story!
What makes this story resonate isn’t the size of the problem– it’s how familiar it feels. Whether it’s a pothole that never gets filled, a light pole that’s been broken for months, or a leaking pipe that no one fixes– every city has its own version of this sidewalk. We can build smart cities, plan bullet trains, and send satellites to space. But if we can’t fix the basics on the ground, how far are we really going?
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