Dilapidated and chaotic
 Unintentional Impressions in Delhi

Dehli: warning of a penalty for littering Photo (detail): © Sanyam Bajaj

Embracing the treasures of the past and errs of the current, Delhi, offers a unique diversity in culture, practices, myths, and infrastructures. The city, adorned by its traditions, also exhibits some charming flaws.

Natasha Khurana

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Characterised by its historic streets and markets, monuments and old mansions, zigzagging roads and vivid culture, the imperfect yet delightful city of New Delhi is home to an estimated 30 million people (including Greater Delhi).

Statistics in the UN World Urbanisation Project show that the population has nearly doubled since 2011. Urbanisation and ease of interstate travel due to an efficient transport network have been stated as the primary contributors to Delhi’s population explosion. Expecting a further surge, sprinting crowds and hastened lifestyles have sped up the aging of the public infrastructure, which now remains in a state of distress and disrepair. Housing is crammed, roadways overworked, and the vital metro system is facing more congestion than it can support. While most flaws around Delhi serve as relics of its past, a few, like the mismatched signs on roads, city walls covered in advertisements, and the growing popularity of makeshift solutions, often produce intriguing results. The following series showcases a few of the mistakes and imperfections that exemplify the frenzied madness of the capital.
 
  • Tricolour advertisements were painted around cities in India to promote action and awareness during the Clean India Campaign (or Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan) between 2014 and 2019. What commands attention here is the ironic juxtaposition of abandoned supplies on the sidewalk by the poster urging to keep it clean. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Tricolour advertisements were painted around cities in India to promote action and awareness during the Clean India Campaign (or Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan) between 2014 and 2019. What commands attention here is the ironic juxtaposition of abandoned supplies on the sidewalk by the poster urging to keep it clean.
  • The majestic trees are twined to support the vines of electric wires that power a village in part of North Delhi. © Sanyam Bajaj
    The majestic trees are twined to support the vines of electric wires that power a village in part of North Delhi.
  • Aged yellow walls and rusty blue boards: this pale combination often adorns the perimeter of small public centres. Surrounded by trash and ignorance, the highlight of this nonsensical strategy is a warning to passersby of a penalty for littering – without any cameras or means to catch the offender. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Aged yellow walls and rusty blue boards: this pale combination often adorns the perimeter of small public centres. Surrounded by trash and ignorance, the highlight of this nonsensical strategy is a warning to passersby of a penalty for littering – without any cameras or means to catch the offender.
  • No labels, just colours! Matching waste to the correct basket is a game, made fun by the lively bins. © Sanyam Bajaj
    No labels, just colours! Matching waste to the correct basket is a game, made fun by the lively bins.
  • Temporary posts are left to stay longer than they should be here. These soldiers apparently serve a decorative purpose, as they are often run over by hastened drivers. Impressively, their roots remain intact. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Temporary posts are left to stay longer than they should be here. These soldiers apparently serve a decorative purpose, as they are often run over by hastened drivers. Impressively, their roots remain intact.
  • Trees and rubble lying on the edge of the road mark a hidden school campus. One might wonder if the entrance is through the tree or the brick sidewalk. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Trees and rubble lying on the edge of the road mark a hidden school campus. One might wonder if the entrance is through the tree or the brick sidewalk.
  • A blessing in disguise? Loose tiles seem to make up for the deficit of sidewalk design here, which according to regulations, is supposed to clearly separate the sidewalk from the roads. © Sanyam Bajaj
    A blessing in disguise? Loose tiles seem to make up for the deficit of sidewalk design here, which according to regulations, is supposed to clearly separate the sidewalk from the roads.
  • This young man arrives on the bike to repair the broken asphalt on the road. In handicrafts, patchwork can be used as a creative way to repair old textiles. But is this really the ideal solution for roads? © Sanyam Bajaj
    This young man arrives on the bike to repair the broken asphalt on the road. In handicrafts, patchwork can be used as a creative way to repair old textiles. But is this really the ideal solution for roads?
  • Road trips can be daunting. To keep the excitement alive, travelers are occasionally treated with an opportunity to play a guessing game with the road signs. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Road trips can be daunting. To keep the excitement alive, travelers are occasionally treated with an opportunity to play a guessing game with the road signs.
  • What now appears to be a conventional parking space was once a road and an oddly-shaped path for pedestrians. © Sanyam Bajaj
    What now appears to be a conventional parking space was once a road and an oddly-shaped path for pedestrians.
  • Cleverly hidden behind electric poles and trees, what secrets do these boards behold? © Sanyam Bajaj
    Cleverly hidden behind electric poles and trees, what secrets do these boards behold?
  • Cleverly hidden behind electric poles and trees, what secrets do these boards behold? © Sanyam Bajaj
    Cleverly hidden behind electric poles and trees, what secrets do these boards behold?
  • Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time.
  • Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time.
  • Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time.ungvolle Angelegenheit. Wie ihre Pendants auf dem Mond bleiben auch diese Dellen und Kerben sehr lang an der Oberfläche bestehen. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Craters and eruptions in the middle of roads and pavements add a little zing to the travellers’ rides. Similar to ones on the lunar surface, dents and disturbances on the paths in Delhi stay put for a long time.
  • Out for a mid-day stroll? Pedestrians and riders are often found cruising the roads side by side. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Out for a mid-day stroll? Pedestrians and riders are often found cruising the roads side by side.
  • Ceaseless and inexplicable public works keep roads and pavements blocked consistently through the years. One might wonder what treasures exist beneath the surface. © Sanyam Bajaj
    Ceaseless and inexplicable public works keep roads and pavements blocked consistently through the years. One might wonder what treasures exist beneath the surface.

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