Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grand designs to build 100 futuristic "smart" cities in India, but as this week's devastating flooding in Chennai shows, fixing today's accident-prone metropolises appears to be the more pressing task.
Locals are in no doubt as to why a mix of floodwaters and sewage is swilling neck-deep around parts of the southern city of 6 million people after weeks of monsoon rains culminated in a 345-mm (14-inch) cloudburst in 24 hours.
"There is nowhere for the water to go because of unchecked building activity," said V.R. Devika, who fled her ground-floor apartment to seek refuge with her upstairs neighbours.