Highways of Growth, Villages of Neglect: India’s Infrastructure Paradox

The inauguration of Delhi’s UER-2 (Urban Extension Road 2) was celebrated as a milestone in India’s highway development. Built to ease congestion and connect national highways with the capital’s arterial roads, the project is projected to cut travel time drastically for intercity and freight movement. On paper, this represents progress and modernization. Yet, a closer look at the surrounding areas reveals a stark infrastructure dichotomy—a story of gleaming expressways juxtaposed with crumbling local roads, waterlogging, and rural neglect.

While urban commuters and logistics companies celebrate the efficiency of the new highway, the villages flanking UER-2 face a very different reality. Local residents struggle daily with broken roads that turn into muddy quagmires during rains. Waterlogging disrupts both mobility and sanitation, while inadequate drainage systems leave rural households cut off from basic connectivity. Ironically, these same villages physically border a state-of-the-art facility but remain disconnected from its benefits.

The issue is compounded by high toll charges, which effectively exclude villagers from accessing the expressway. For local farmers, traders, and daily wage earners, paying tolls that often exceed their earnings for the day makes little sense. As a result, while the expressway caters to long-haul transport and city commuters, the very communities living beside it are priced out. This transforms infrastructure into a symbol of exclusion rather than inclusion.

The case of UER-2 is symptomatic of a broader trend in India’s development model—prioritizing flagship projects with national visibility while overlooking local infrastructure needs. Mega-highways, airports, and metro systems capture attention and investment, but the feeder roads, drainage, and rural linkages that determine whether common citizens can truly benefit are often left underfunded. This imbalance widens the gap between “India Shining” and “Bharat Struggling.”

The consequences are not just social but also economic. Poor local roads prevent farmers from transporting perishable goods efficiently, eroding their incomes. Students and workers lose valuable hours navigating flooded lanes before even reaching the highway. Rural industries and craft clusters remain uncompetitive because logistics costs stay high. In effect, the multiplier benefits that modern highways promise are blocked at the first mile itself.

What this highlights is the urgent need for a “two-tier infrastructure policy.” Mega-projects like UER-2 are necessary for national growth, but they must be integrated with local infrastructure planning. This requires:

Affordable toll policies for local residents, perhaps through differential tolling systems.

Dedicated budget allocations to upgrade rural roads, drainage, and feeder routes alongside highway construction.

A mechanism for community consultation so that development projects consider the lived realities of surrounding populations.

A shift from mere inauguration-focused optics to holistic, inclusive infrastructure delivery.

In the end, highways should not just connect cities but also uplift the lives of those living in their shadows. The villages around UER-2 stand as a reminder that without equitable access, infrastructure risks deepening inequalities rather than bridging them. India’s growth story must therefore re-align—so that the gleaming asphalt of expressways also paves the way for the prosperity of its rural heartlands.

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