Look around you in Delhi and the city seems to be teetering on the brink of hopelessness. A dying river, fragmented forest cover, dilapidated lakes and water tanks, open sewers, severe air pollution — matters appear to have gotten to the point where it has become difficult to imagine that they could get worse.
But gloomy as the present might be, stepping back in time reveals a Delhi that was quite different. It is instructive to see how the city took shape over centuries by managing its natural resources well. There was respect for topography and a willingness to fit. . .