The latest CAG report on Indian Railways delivers a reality check: drinking water at major stations tested positive for E coli and coliform bacteria, indicating faecal contamination. This is textbook failure of basic oversight. Contamination occurs when leaking sewage lines cross-contaminate cracked water pipes, storage tanks go uncleaned for months, or filtration and chlorination systems fail.

The audit revealed that over half the tested samples failed residual chlorine standards, while routine bacteriological testing was skipped at dozens of stations. This is indicative of norm, not exception.

Also Read: Public education needs public money

Systemic rot defines too much of our public infrastructure. In south Delhi's Saket, police filed a chargesheet finding that illegal construction and substandard materials caused a 5-storey building collapse. Together, these stories reveal a fatal truth: India risks becoming a classic paper tiger.

Viksit-heading on paper, and third world-level corrupt execution and weak accountability in practice. We celebrate joining the ranks of the world's top economies. But an expanding GDP means little if a citizen cannot drink tap water at a railway station without risking serious infection, or enter a building without fearing it will crumble.

Also Read: This hotspot is getting hazardous

It's not that India can't deliver top-notch infrastructure. Under its 'Drink from Tap' mission, Odisha transformed Puri and parts of Bhubaneswar to supply certified potable water 24x7 directly to household taps. Yet, such successes remain exceptions. With the 2030 deadline for UN SDGs approaching, the final report card will arrive sooner than we think.

When international assessment begins for SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), PR campaigns won't conceal the gaps.