India, July 26 -- Every few weeks, another Indian city offers us a grim reminder of pervasive municipal failure or neglect. A spell of heavy rain is enough to paralyse traffic for hours. Roads disappear beneath water or, worse, cave in altogether. Newly laid asphalt develops potholes within months. Garbage piles up despite expensive municipal contracts. Sewage overflows into residential colonies. Water shortages coexist with flooding. Electricity supply remains uncertain in vast stretches of the country. Public transport is either grossly inadequate or overwhelmed. The air is increasingly unbreathable, while open spaces disappear beneath relentless concrete.

The collapse of India's urban infrastructure is no longer episodic. It is system...