If you’re eagerly anticipating the rollout of satellite internet service in India, there’s some exciting news for you! Before Elon Musk’s Starlink can launch its services in the country, India’s own Airtel is set to introduce its satellite internet service. In a recent interview with ANI, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, shared that their satellite telecom service is ready to go, pending approval from the central government.

Airtel has finished work on its base stations located in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and is now simply awaiting the green light to kick off operations. Regarding the launch timeline, Rajan expressed that they are prepared to roll out satellite services in India as soon as they receive the necessary permissions.

Airtel has already launched 635 satellites and is currently operating in various international markets. Rajan also discussed pricing, indicating that they plan to provide services to remote areas at a “decent price.” 

This could pose a significant challenge for Starlink, which is also eager to enter the Indian market but is still waiting for government approval. Moreover, Starlink’s prices tend to be on the higher side, which could give Airtel a competitive edge in terms of affordability.

In other news, Jio, BSNL, and Airtel users can now make calls using any available network, even when their own SIM is out of signal. On January 17, the government introduced the Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) facility during an event promoting 4G mobile sites funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). This initiative allows users from any network to access 4G services through a single tower supported by DBN funding.

When mobile network companies work together and share the same government-funded cell towers, people using different networks can access 4G service from those towers. This cooperation means there won’t be as many towers needed, making it easier and quicker to set up the necessary infrastructure. Overall, it helps to provide better service while reducing the number of towers that need to be built.

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“These advanced weapons (hypersonic missiles) have the potential to bypass existing air defence systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes. The key to hypersonic vehicles is the scramjet — an air breathing engine capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Only the United States, Russia and China have developed technologies to field fast-manoeuvring hypersonic missiles that fly at lower altitudes and are extremely hard to track and intercept.

An improvement over ramjet technology, the scramjet engine operates efficiently at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion.

The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based unit of Defence Research and Development Organisation, is developing a long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) powered hypersonic technology.

“The DRDL recently developed these technologies and demonstrated a cutting-edge active cooled scramjet combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India. The successful ground test marks a crucial milestone in developing next-generation hypersonic missiles,” the statement said.

The ground test of scramjet combustor showcased several notable achievements, including successful ignition and stable combustion, demonstrating its potential for operational use in hypersonic vehicles, it said. Scramjet combustor incorporates an innovative flame stabilisation technique that holds continuous flame inside the combustor even with an air speed of more than 1.5 km/second.

“The indigenous development of scramjet fuel for the first time, jointly by the DRDL and industry is, central to this breakthrough. The fuel offers dual benefits of significant cooling improvement and ease of ignition. The team developed a special manufacturing process to achieve stringent fuel requirements of the DRDL on an industrial scale,” the ministry said.

Another notable achievement is the development of state-of-art thermal barrier coating (TBC), designed to withstand extreme temperatures during hypersonic flight, it said. A new advanced ceramic TBC, with high thermal resistance and capable of operating beyond the melting point of steel, has been jointly developed by the DRDL and the department of science and technology.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO and the industry for the successful ground test. DRDO chief Samir V Kamat also congratulated the DRDL and the industry for demonstrating capabilities in stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management tests.

The development comes two months after India announced that the DRDO had successfully test-fired the country’s first long-range hypersonic missile off the Odisha coast, a step towards strengthening the military’s capabilities with a new weapon system.

The hypersonic missile tested is designed to carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1,500 kms for the armed forces. It was tracked by various range systems, deployed in multiple domains, and the flight data obtained from down range ship stations confirmed the successful terminal manoeuvres and impact with a high degree of accuracy.

Amid the growing border tension between India and Bangladesh, farmers from both countries clashed along the international border in West Bengal’s Malda district on January 18. The confrontation led border guards from both nations to fire stun grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds that swelled to nearly 1,000 people on each side.

“There are ongoing issues across the border. Securing the border is the BSF’s responsibility. If any injustice happens, we will look into it. But if there are any arguments going on between them (Border Guard Bangladesh and the BSF), stay clear,” Banerjee said while addressing a public distribution programme in Malda district on Tuesday.

The clash at Sukhdevpur, about 50 km south of Malda town, erupted after Indian farmers accused their Bangladeshi counterparts of crossing the border to steal crops, BSF officials said.

The situation quickly escalated from an altercation to stone pelting between residents of both countries. Indian farmers have been alleging that miscreants from Bangladesh were stealing and damaging their crops. There are farmlands beyond the barbed wire fences, close to the international border, where Indian farmers grow crops.

“I would request the police to announce on loudspeakers (when tension sparks off at the border) to urge our villagers to stay away from the international border. The administration will take care of the rest. I trust that the relations (between the two countries) would improve again,” she added.

The clash site at Sukhdevpur was less than a kilometre from Sabdalpur, where tensions first erupted on January 5 when the BSF began constructing a border fence along a 1.2 km stretch within 150 yards of the international border.

Banerjee also urged the local police and people to ensure that no miscreants and terrorists take shelter in any hotel or house. “Ensure that no miscreant or terrorist can stay in a hotel or rent a house and treat it as a safe haven. The nation, its people, and the state would suffer. There can only be development where there is peace,” she added.

Diplomatic relations and the atmosphere at the border have soured since August 5, when former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. The Border Guard Bangladesh has halted BSF’s construction at “6-7 different places” in North and South Bengal frontiers where work was mutually agreed upon under the previous government.

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The Bangalore Hotels Association has criticized the month-long ban as “unscientific,” warning that it could severely impact over 5,000 businesses, including small eateries, bars, pubs, and luxury hotels in the area. In a letter dated January 20, the association highlighted the adverse economic effects on the hospitality sector and questioned the necessity of such a measure.

The association argued that most hotels already have effective garbage disposal systems to prevent food waste from attracting birds. They also pointed out the inconsistency of the ban, noting that meat is likely to be served within the Air Force Station during the event.

“This decision is impractical and disruptive,” the association stated, emphasizing that it could interfere with weddings, corporate meetings, and other events planned during this period, leading to substantial financial losses for businesses.

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The BBMP’s directive, issued via a public notice by the Joint Commissioner of the Yelahanka Zone on January 17, is intended to minimize bird strikes during aircraft practice sessions and the main event scheduled for February 10-14. The civic body has warned that any violations will result in penalties under the BBMP Act 2020 and Indian Aircraft Rules 1937 (Rule 91).

Aero India 2025, a major aerospace and defense event, is known for showcasing military and civilian aircraft as well as cutting-edge aerospace technologies. The show has traditionally been a significant event for Bengaluru, attracting global attention and participate.

Aero India 2025, organized by the Defense Ministry’s Department of Defense Production, is hailed as Asia’s largest airshow. The event will span five days, with the first three reserved for business visitors, while the public can witness the breathtaking aerial performances during the last two days.

Pakistan sought the appointment of the neutral expert to handle its objections to the two projects in 2015, but it unilaterally retracted this in 2016 and sought a court of arbitration. India has joined meetings with the neutral expert but stayed away from proceedings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the grounds that both processes cannot run simultaneously.

The neutral expert, International Commission of Large Dams (ICOLD) president Michel Lino, ruled on Monday that he is competent to “render a decision on the merits of the Points of Difference” between India and Pakistan on the two hydropower projects. A decision will be given after hearing both parties, Lino said in a statement issued in Vienna.

The decision validates the position taken by India in the proceedings over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. “It is basically a setback for Pakistan,” one of the people said.

The external affairs ministry welcomed the neutral expert’s decision under the provisions of paragraph 7 of Annexure F to the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

“The decision upholds and vindicates India’s stand that all seven questions that were referred to the Neutral Expert, in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects, are differences falling within his competence under the Treaty,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Also Read: Indus Waters Treaty must reflect new realities

India’s had taken a “consistent and principled position” that the neutral expert alone has the competence under the Indus Waters Treaty to decide these differences. “Having upheld his own competence, which comports with India’s view, the Neutral Expert will now proceed to the next (merits) phase of his proceeding,” the statement said.

India is committed to “preserving the sanctity and integrity” of the Indus Waters Treaty and will continue to participate in the process led by the neutral expert so that the differences are resolved in a “manner consistent with the provisions of the Treaty, which does not provide for parallel proceedings on the same set of issues”, the statement said.

India described the proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration as “illegally constituted” and said it doesn’t “recognise or participate” in them.

The external affairs ministry also said the governments of India and Pakistan were in touch on the matter of modifying and reviewing the Indus Waters Treaty.

In August 2024, India served formal notice on Pakistan for the review and modification of the 62-year-old treaty, largely because of Islamabad’s intransigent approach towards handling disputes related to cross-border rivers. The notice was served under Article XII (3) of the treaty, which states that provisions of the pact may be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments.

India has argued that the differences over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects “fall squarely and entirely” within Annexure F of the Indus Waters Treaty and the neutral expert is “duty-bound to render a decision on the merits”. The neutral expert’s statement showed that he agreed with India’s position and found “no need to address Pakistan’s…alternative submission”.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. It was brokered by the World Bank, which too is a signatory. It is considered the most durable treaty between the two countries but has been under pressure in recent years as bilateral ties plunged to an all-time low due to tensions related to terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir.

The treaty has not been amended since it was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960, by then Pakistan president Mohammad Ayub Khan, then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and WAB Illif of the World Bank.

The treaty allocated the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab – to Pakistan, and the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – to India. It allowed each country certain uses on the rivers allocated to the other.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
| Photo Credit: X:@ncbn

On the second day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday (January 21, 2025), Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu addressed a special session of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on green industrialization.

Highlighting his long-standing partnership with CII since 1995, he reflected on his journey of driving transformative change, citing Hyderabad’s emergence as one of India’s most livable cities and a global hub for IT, healthcare, and innovation as proof of concept.

“We have a demographic advantage, and Indian entrepreneurs, especially those from Andhra Pradesh, are excelling globally, contributing to the world economy. India is poised to lead, with Bloomberg predicting it will provide incremental GDP growth by 2027. From 2028 onward, it will be the Indian era,” he remarked.

Mr. Naidu applauded India’s current leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as a “visionary leader” with a stable government, preparing for a “Viksit Bharat 2047” that envisions India as a global superpower. He expressed confidence that India will rank among the top two economies by 2047, with Indians becoming leaders in wealth creation.

Mr. Naidu emphasised the need for leveraging technologies like AI and real-time data to solve complex problems and improve everyday life, while outlining his vision for the Global Leadership Centre (GLC) in Amaravati to prepare future leaders. On this occasion, a letter of intent was exchanged between the IMD Business School, Switzerland, and GLC to enhance global competitiveness and leadership development.

Touching on sustainability, Mr. Naidu underscored India’s commitment to natural and organic farming, which he termed a “boon for the global community,” and highlighted the importance of including people as partners in governance through his proposed “P4 model”—public-private-people partnership.The Chief Minister urged corporate leaders to take responsibility for eradicating poverty and inequality, describing people as India’s greatest asset. He acknowledged Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran’s guidance in steering the Swarnandhra 2047 economic development initiative.

With a focus on green industrialisation, deep-tech innovation, and inclusive leadership, Mr. Naidu expressed optimism about India’s role in driving global growth and fostering sustainable development.

The Chief Minister highlighted his administration’s ambitious plans to transform the State into a global hub for green energy and green hydrogen, setting a precedent for sustainable development and energy reforms.

Reflecting on his tenure, the Chief Minister shared his journey of introducing bold power reforms in 1999 amidst a national energy crisis. “The country was facing severe power shortages, and industries had to shut down. Despite fears and challenges, I introduced critical reforms, which initially cost me an election. However, today we are reaping the benefits of those decisions,” he stated.

Mr. Naidu said that under his leadership, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed significant advancements in solar and wind energy, reducing energy costs. “Scaling and innovation are the keys to success,” he emphasised.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a clean energy hub, with a mission-mode approach to achieving sustainability goals. Key initiatives include: A massive $115 billion investment in the fuel sector to produce 500 MW of renewable energy and 500 million metric tons (MMT) of green energy by 2030, contributing 30% to the national target. 

Highlighting collaborations, Mr. Naidu mentioned the Prime Minister’s recent visit to lay the foundation stone for a $21 billion green hydrogen project, a joint venture poised to accelerate India’s renewable energy ambitions. Additionally, Reliance is investing ₹65,000 crore in biofuel initiatives in the State.

As part of the Vision 2047 roadmap, Mr. Naidu outlined ten guiding principles focusing on cost optimisation, environmental balance, and positioning Andhra Pradesh as a leader in the global green hydrogen and fuel markets. “With our well-equipped ports like Kakinada, we are poised to export green energy products to the world,” he noted.

Meta Campus, which is first-of-its-kind concept, serves as a digital twin of Pearl Academy’s physical campus, spread across a series of immersive zones, a press statement informed.

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It added that each zone represents different academic disciplines consisting of interactive touchpoints such as a virtual counsellor that answers real-time queries, 3D installations, live fashion shows, student work showcases, ‘spin the wheel’ activities, coin smash challenge, photo booth, and more.

Those who visited the Comic Con could experience the Meta Campus first-hand, using VR headsets for a deeper, more immersive journey into the future of education.

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The visitors could also interact with virtual counsellor and also participated in the Coin Smash Challenge, an interactive game within the Meta Campus.

CB Arun Kumar, Dean, Communication Design, Film and Gaming at Pearl Academy, spoke about the launch and said that the initiative is a testament to the institution’s commitment to staying at the forefront of creative education.

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“As the OGs of creative education in India, Pearl Academy has carved a niche by nurturing creativity and equipping students with the skills to thrive in the dynamic worlds of Communication Design, Product Design, Fashion, Interiors and Business Management,” he said.

Kumar added, “Through this immersive virtual experience, we are embracing the future of learning, where technology and creativity converge to provide our students with an exceptional, future-ready educational experience.”

Saif Ali Khan attacked: Vijay Das, the man arrested by Munmbai Police for stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra West Apartment in Mumbai, crossed the Dawki river in Meghalaya to enter India. The police has informed that Bangladeshi national had entered India seven months ago, used a West Bengal resident’s Aadhaar card to procure a SIM before moving to Mumbai.

According to a PTI report, citing statements from Mumbai Police, Bangladeshi National Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30) entered India and changed his name to Vijay Das.

Saif Ali Khan’s Attacker stayed in Bengal for 2 Weeks

The Mumbai Police has informed that Fakir crossed the Dawki River to enter India illegally seven months ago.

A Mumbai Police official told PTI that the Saif Ali Khan’s attacker stayed for a few weeks in West Bengal and used the Aadhaar card of a local man to procure a SIM card before moving to Mumbai in search of a job.

He said the preliminary probe revealed that the SIM card used by the accused was registered in the name of one Khukumoni Jahangir Sekha of West Bengal.

The official said Fakir also tried to get an Aadhaar card for himself but failed.

What did Saif Ali Khan’s Attacker Do in Mumbai?

In Mumbai, the Saif Ali Khan’s attacker chose to work at places where he didn’t need to furnish documents, and labour contractor Amit Pandey helped him get housekeeping work in pubs and hotels in Worli and Thane.

On examining Fakir’s cellphone, the Mumbai police found he had made several calls to Bangladesh and used mobile applications to make calls to his family in the neighbouring country.

The Mumbai Police investigating Saif Ali Khan stabbing case took the accused, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, to the actor’s Bandra house on Tuesday morning to recreate the crime scene. He was also taken to the Bandra railway station to do the same, news agency PTI reported.

Saif Ali Khan (54) was stabbed repeatedly by the Bangladeshi national inside his 12th-floor Bandra apartment on January 16, necessitating surgery. The metropolitan magistrate’s court in Bandra has remanded the accused in five-day police custody.

Dengue deaths in India could rise significantly by 2030 and further more by 2050, a new study by climate scientists has revealed.

A study led by climate scientists, Sophia Yacob and Roxy Mathew Koll from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, sheds light on the intricate links between climate change and dengue in India.

The paper published in Nature’s Scientific Reports reveals that a combination of warm temperatures above 27°C, moderate and evenly distributed rainfall, and humidity levels between 60% and 78% during the monsoon season (June–September) increases dengue incidences and deaths. However, heavy rainfall above 150mm in a week reduced the dengue prevalence by flushing out the mosquito eggs and larvae, the study found.

“Dengue mortality and meteorological conditions over a twelve-year period (2004–2015) are analysed using statistical tools and machine learning methods. Our findings point to a significant influence of temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity on sdengue mortality in Pune, at a time-lag of 2–5 months, providing sufficient lead time for an early warning targeted at curbing dengue outbreaks,” the paper which uses Pune as a case study states.

“We find that moderate rains spread over the summer monsoon season lead to an increase in dengue mortality, whereas heavy rains reduce it through the flushing effect, indicating the links between dengue and monsoon intraseasonal variability,” it said adding that, “In a changing climate, dengue-related mortality in Pune is projected to rise by 13% in the near future (2021–2040), 23–40% in the mid-century (2041–2060)… under low-to-high emission pathways in response to the associated increase in temperature and changes in monsoon rainfall patterns.”

Also Read: Chandigarh: Dengue threat waning with arrival of winter

Though these projections are for Pune, scientists said similar increase can be expected over most of the country.

“Without immediate interventions, the combination of rising temperatures and erratic monsoon patterns will not only exacerbate vector-borne diseases like dengue across India but also strain our healthcare systems, leaving vulnerable communities at greater risk,” said Koll, climate scientist, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Temperature and humidity over India are projected to increase further into the future, while the monsoon rainfall patterns will be getting more erratic, dashed with heavy-to-extreme rains.

Though heavy rains can wash out mosquito larvae, the model, used by scientists for the paper, shows that the overall increase in warmer days is dominating the future changes in dengue.

Under low-to-high fossil fuel emissions, Pune is expected to experience a 1.2–3.5°C average temperature rise by the end of the century, the paper states.

Effective dengue early warning systems rely heavily on comprehensive health data collection and sharing. State public health departments play a crucial role in compiling and disseminating health data. One study indicates that dengue is significantly underreported in India, revealing that the actual number of cases is 282 times higher than the reported figures, Koll said.

“We were able to conduct this study and prepare an early warning system using health data shared by Pune’s health department”, said Koll.

“We approached some states where dengue cases are high, but health departments there did not cooperate. We have meteorological data readily available from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). If health data is shared, we can prepare customized early warning systems for climate sensitive diseases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya for each city or district in India. Cooperation from health departments is key to saving lives”, Koll emphasised.

States like Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which bear a significant dengue burden, can greatly benefit from an advanced early warning system like this to enhance preparedness and reduce the disease’s impact.

“This collaboration highlights the importance of bringing together expertise from diverse fields to address complex climate-health challenges. It is a perfect example of how scientists, the health department, and the government can work together to improve our health warning system,” said Sujata Saunik, chief secretary, Maharashtra government in a statement.

“All predictions are meant for decisions — agriculture, water, health and such. Health applications offer the most stringent tests for weather and climate predictions. We don’t have the luxury of saying there is not enough data. We must use existing data to show what is possible and then identify data gaps to do these much more efficiently and effectively,” said Raghu Murtugudde, climate scientist, University of Maryland and co-author in a statement.

Delhi’s road network, on paper, puts most other larger cities in India to shame. A radial design, converging at the Ring Road, seamlessly connects satellite towns Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to the Capital. Over 18,594km of expressways and highways stitch the National Capital Region (NCR) into one of the country’s most integrated systems.

The total road length in Delhi is, in fact, more than double that of any other Indian town. The city’s total road network is 33,198km, with Bengaluru, which has a road length of 14,000km, a distant second. It is followed by Kolkata with 4,018km, Hyderabad with 3,349km, Chennai with 2,780km and Mumbai with 1,941km, as of 2023.

But beneath Delhi’s infrastructural sheen lies a bitter truth: the roads are bursting at the seams.

According to the government portal Parivahan, Delhi had nearly eight million registered vehicles in 2023 — one for every two registered voters.

The imbalance is staggering, especially when seen against the relatively static road network. Between 1981 and 2023, the number of vehicles in the city increased 21 times, but the road length barely doubled – from 15,487km to 33,198km, according to Delhi traffic police’s Road Crash Report 2023.

The chasm is further exacerbated by the fact that 92.7% of the city’s vehicular population are private cars and two-wheelers. Buses of all categories, the lifeline for millions of people in the city, account for a negligible 0.21%.

Experts warn that this uninhibited growth in private cars has pushed the city’s road network to a tipping point.

“The Capital faces the challenge of managing a massive influx of traffic from highways, which is then discharged on Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. Highways and arterial roads have exceeded their carrying capacity, and the influx of vehicles from over 100 entry points daily only worsens the situation,” said S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). “This also makes it difficult to ascertain actual traffic volume in Delhi.”

Even the Delhi Metro, with its expansive 393km network, struggles to ease the load. “Despite the Metro’s presence, congestion remains a daily ordeal, leading to longer commutes, pollution, and wasteful fuel consumption,” Velmurugan added.

Another problem that cripples the road network in Delhi is the lack of proper zoning. In metropolises such as Mumbai or Bengaluru, there is a clear demarcation of commercial, industrial, and residential areas, creating predictable traffic flows. In Mumbai for instance, the local train network ferries millions from the city’s residential north to the commercial south in the morning. The reverse plays out in the evening.

But Delhi’s mixed-use planning ensures that traffic snarls persist at all hours.

Take Connaught Place, for instance. Known as a commercial hub, it also houses offices and residences, attracting vehicles from every corner of the city throughout the day.

Former Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials explain that the need for “mixed land-use” development was felt after commercial activities grew many fold in the wake of the privatisation initiatives in 1990-1991. Mixed-use planning was officially adopted in the 2007 Master Plan, but experts argue it was poorly implemented.

“Private institutes, coaching centres, and shops began mushrooming in villages such as Jia Sarai and Kalu Sarai near IIT Delhi, Laxmi Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar by the late 1990s. This transition was hastily embraced by property owners to maximise rentals, but civic agencies failed to provide adequate infrastructure like parking and drainage,” explains AK Jain, one of the first DDA commissioners.

The result? Residential neighbourhoods near colleges such as Laxmi Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar are now choked with traffic, with streets doubling as parking lots for cars and two-wheelers.

The massive ballooning of cars in Delhi has led to the creation of another nightmare – parking.

In regions with high car ownership such as south and west Delhi, parked cars line the roads, barely leaving a single lane for the movement of vehicles. In areas such as east and northeast Delhi, narrow lanes are clogged by thousands of autos and e-rickshaws, which are used by millions in the absence of a clear strategy to provide last-mile connectivity.

Attempts to regulate parking have largely failed. Retrofitting measures multilevel parking structures remain underutilised, while on-street parking continues to consume valuable road space.

Anuj Malhotra, an urban planner who worked on multiple projects in Delhi and is now general manager of Srinagar Smart City Ltd, stresses the need for a wider, city-wide approach, rather than makeshift solutions. “Pilots to formalise on-street parking have been inconsistent. In any case, such projects can only be successful once there’s full implementation within a stipulated time frame.”

Adding to the chaos, buses often park along roads, creating bottlenecks.

At terminals like Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, buses idle for hours, waiting to fill seats. In residential parts of the city such as RK Puram, Vasant Kunj, Pitam Pura, Rohini and others, school buses occupy streets during pick-up and drop-off hours, forcing traffic to a crawl.

“Delhi does not have a single peak hour timing. There is heavy traffic during the morning hours due to schools and then due to the office hours. By the time office rush hour ends, school dispersal traffic begins. Once that settles, people start leaving offices by early evening, which goes on till at least 8pm. All these need to be juggled with VIP movement, special events, festivals and vehicle breakdowns,” said a senior traffic official.

Delhi’s aging fleet of buses adds another layer of frustration. With frequent breakdowns — averaging five to seven a day — major corridors like the Ring Road and Mathura Road often become parking lots of stranded vehicles.

In 2023, 486 bus breakdowns were reported by September, a slight improvement from 488 in 2022 but still alarming. “Each breakdown causes ripple effects, delaying thousands of commuters,” notes the traffic police official.

Unregulated bus stops worsen the situation, according to residents. “Near the Okhla NSIC metro station, it is a daily affair for buses to drop off passengers in the middle of the roads. This area already has heavy traffic because of autos and e-rickshaws that occupy half the road. Huge buses stopping even for two minutes add several minutes of waiting time for others,” said Sarita Vihar resident Sanjukta Banerjee.

If vehicles aren’t causing gridlock, perpetual construction is. From flyover repairs to waterline projects, Delhi’s roads are in a constant state of upheaval. Major routes, especially sections of the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, have been under repair for years, forcing residents to plan trips with generous buffers.

“Travelling along the Ring Road has been a traffic nightmare in the last couple of years. First, there were repairs near the IIT flyover. Then, the Ashram flyover was being constructed. After that, repairs started on the Chirag Delhi flyover, and now after the last monsoon, the entire Ring Road is damaged. There is no time during the day when traffic is low or there is gridlock at some point,” said Chetan Sharma, chairman of Federation of GK-II complex RWAs.

The root of the problem lies in Delhi’s fragmented governance. With up to 14 agencies involved in road work, coordination is virtually non-existent. Agencies like the Delhi Jal Board and telecom companies dig up roads without consulting each other, leaving commuters to bear the brunt of their inefficiency.

Throwing a spanner in the already chaotic condition on the road is the battle for control between Delhi’s elected government and the lieutenant governor. Bureaucratic delays, fuelled by this political prolonged power struggle between the elected Aam Aadmi Party government on one side and the Bharatiya Janata Party and the LG on the other, have stalled major infrastructure projects.

A finance department bottleneck has meant that only minor repairs get approved, leaving comprehensive road-strengthening plans in limbo. “The constant tug-of-war between the LG and the Delhi government has paralysed decision-making,” said an official from the Public Works Department.

Experts agree that piecemeal measures won’t solve Delhi’s traffic nightmare. A unified authority to streamline planning and execution is essential. Expanding public transport, improving last-mile connectivity, and implementing strict parking regulations could ease the burden.

For now, Delhi remains a city gridlocked, its roads a daily torment for its residents. Without bold action, the traffic crisis threatens to become the defining issue of the city’s political and civic future.