Nilothi's urban landscape, characterized by its unplanned and dense development, faces significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and formal planning. The area's narrow streets hinder the implementation of piped systems and efficient waste collection, leading to significant environmental and public health concerns. Trash accumulates in the streets and open drains, ultimately contaminating the Najafgarh and other supplementary drains, which are critical contributors to the pollution of the Yamuna River. Additionally, the lack of public amenities and green spaces in Nilothi underscores the need for thoughtful intervention.

Acknowledging Nilothi's distinct urban challenges, the project advocates for precise, small-scale solutions that align more effectively with the local context. Despite their underutilization, numerous vacant lots in Nilothi buzz with vibrant activities initiated by the community. This initiative seeks to harness these spaces, strategically integrating vital infrastructure amidst the area's densely packed surroundings. The aim is to blend functional infrastructure with the community-generated social environments, creating a symbiotic relationship between necessary urban development and the organic, communal spaces cultivated by the residents.

A key component of this strategy involves the creation of vegetated, low-speed mobility streets. These green thoroughfares serve as vital connectors, knitting together civic amenities and public. They not only improve the urban landscape but also guide residents toward the rehabilitated supplementary drain, transforming it into an accessible linear park. Central to the project are localized waste and sewage treatment facilities, strategically integrated as community nodes. These installations develop a resilient and self-sufficient model for managing public infrastructure, inviting urban engagement, and fostering a sense of collective ownership of the city.

This approach underscores the potential of hybridized programs, where infrastructure coexists with public life, promoting the already vibrant urban society. The focus on localizing infrastructure aims to heighten community investment and stewardship, encouraging a deeper understanding of sustainable practices. The envisioned treatment plants not only address environmental challenges but also open opportunities for economic development through the recycling of materials and potential energy production.




Ultimately, the project explores the interplay between necessary infrastructure and the urban environment, emphasizing connections that are fundamental to the experience of space—infrastructure and leisure, individuals and community, interior and exterior, and culture and geography. This vision for Nilothi presents a paradigm of decentralized public infrastructure, designed to enrich dense urban settlements through the democratization of space and infrastructure.




More information on:
https://yamunariverproject.wp.tulane.edu/
https://yamunariverproject.wp.tulane.edu/2021/07/31/introduction-of-infrastructures-and-public-amenities-in-nilothi-elliot-moreau/