In a presentation made to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on February 5, the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) put it plainly: clear our Delhi's rubble now or get buried forever. Satelite pictures of Delhi's cancerous growth rate taken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (commissioned by NCRPB) are the surest case for instant action.

But Ms. Dikshit told the STOI: "If the concept of the NCR has to be activated, it can only be with the cooperation of the four chief ministers in the NCR (UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi)."

This implies two things -- that the four states should arm themselves to take on Delhi's load and Delhi, in turn, should rev up its infrastructure and decentralise industry and other operations.

While the rest are not on the verge of a collapse and are certainly in no great hurry, for Delhi it is already too late.

Even as the administration dithers endlessly, migrants continue to swamp the Capital in horders. And why not? Delhi has the highest per capita income, enjoys the most subsidies and has a lower tax regime than any other metro.

What will be in Delhi after two years :

• 57% will have no access to water
• 41% will have no sewage facilities
• 40% will be plunged in darkness
• The average vehicle speed on road will be 14 kmph, which will be reduced to 5 kmph in the next decade.

But look what it's doing to the place. If we carry on in the same manner, 57% amongst us would have no water at all in the next two years. Says Sarita J. Das, member-secretary, NCRPB : " Delhi would become another Fatehpur Sikri if this siege continues." The water table below Delhi has fallen to alarming levels (from 8 metres to 30 metres). Whereas the litres per capita per day of water should ideally be 363, in Meharauli is a pathetic 29, in Narela it is 31. You will have to start buying your water -- unless you are paying through your nose for it already -- because your underground pumps will not function beyond a point.

Those who can't afford to will suffer or migrate -- if they haven't already been menaced by the sewage.

The reason: people will dump their waste as they please -- into the Yamuna or, worse, pump into the ground. For, there would be no treatment facilities available for 41% amongst us in 2001.

For those who still manage to keep afloat, there will be no power: 40% of Delhi will remain plunged in darkness when the millennium dawns. When if you decide to go for a drive when your invertor packs up, you can only do so at the princely speed of 14 km an hour in 2001, which will show down to five an hour in the next decade. In any case, by then road space would be severely restricted as large parts of Delhi would be converted to slums, which now comprise 28% of the Capital.