Delhi, is the National Capital Territory of India -- not to be confused with India’s capital and seat of government, New Delhi, which you could describe as a city within the larger city of Delhi. Now that we got that out of the way, Delhi is the second most populous city in the world and one of the fastest growing. At the turn of the 20th century.
Just 400,000 people lived in Delhi, fast forward to 2015 and more than 18 million people inhabit the bustling metropolis. And it really is bustling, Delhi has one of the highest population densities of any city on the planet with around 27,000 people per square mile. Compare that to New York City’s 2,000 people per square mile, and you can almost feel the compactness.
Living in urban slums, more than half of Delhi residents are unable to access basic services like water, electricity and sanitation. For children who live in slums - like Bhalswa in the northwest - malnutrition, child labor, and limited access to education hinder their opportunities for social mobility. But it’s not just children that are affected.
It’s common knowledge that the wealth gap between rich and poor in India is vast, with the top 10 percent of wage earners making 12 times more than the bottom 10. Unsurprisingly, the service sector is Delhi’s largest employer. Most middle-class working people, though, hold positions in trade, finance, public administration and social services.
For these middle classes, Delhi often rates highly for its quality of living compared to other Indian cities, particularly because it offers sound access to education, healthcare and employment. Another thing that differentiates Delhi from other Indian cities, is its vast diversity. On the surface, this is reflected in the myriad of cultural monuments, as well as the varied foods, art and fashion on offer. Known as India’s cultural melting pot, Delhi’s main languages are Hindi and
English, but are also accompanied by Punjabi, Urdu and hundreds of others, which can be heard on the streets. These streets also host religious festivals and other festivities - an important part of life for many. While Hinduism is the dominant faith, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other minorities are part of this religious fabric as well.
Now, in terms of finding love, the men of Delhi are struggling. But not for reasons you might assume… there are only 866 women for every 1,000 men in the city. Some experts believe decades of sex-selective abortions is to blame for this bias, citing the nation's age-old attitude that perceives daughters as a burden and sons as a blessing. Perhaps related to these patriarchal values is the increase in sexually-motivated crime toward women and a swelling intolerance towards migrants, which have contributed to the growing unease amongst Delhi’s residents...not to mention the crazy traffic and pollution. According to the World Health Organization, Delhi has the worst air pollution of any city in the world. Though one human development expert argues “While air pollution in the capital is a cause for worry, Delhi performs much better in terms of affordable housing green-open spaces. Besides, it continues to be the country’s social, cultural and intellectual centre.” Capital to Russia...
Moscow is another massive city, though arguably much more cosmopolitan. To learn more about what life is really like in Moscow, hit the annotation now and check out the full playlist for more episodes. Thanks for watching Seeker Daily. Please subscribe.
