INFRA SPOTLIGHT
Rebuilding American Infrastructure The state of public infrastructure in superpower USA has become decrepit over time due to neglect, disrepair, and inadequate funding. There’s an urgent need for sustained investments, futuristic roadmap, concerted action, and re-engineering new infrastructure using cutting-edge technology to ensure socio-economic transformation, seamless connectivity, and citizen welfare. By Rituparna Sengupta
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he American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has given United States a score of C minus in its 2021 report card. Once the pre-eminent nation in robust infrastructure globally, the present-day creaking infrastructure calls for critical attention, and the need to strengthen and build back better. The ASCE Report Card is not alone in its dire assessment. The same has been highlighted in an earlier report from the World Economic Forum — the 2019
There is a water main break every 2 minutes and 6 billion gallons of treated water is lost daily in the US. Growing wear and tear on our nation's roads have left 43% of our public roadways in poor or mediocre condition. There are 10,000 miles of levees in the US whose location and condition are unknown. 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, American Society Civil Engineers
Global Competitive Index — which ranked the American infrastructure quality at 13 among 141 countries.
Ageing Infrastructure and Funding Woes In November 2021, a White House statement at the launch of the US Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill shared examples of the nation’s ageing infrastructure. More than 45,000 US bridges and one in five miles of roads are in poor condition. Millions of Americans still get water from lead pipes, even though
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exposure to lead has irreversible health effects. The list goes on. The 2021 ASCE infrastructure quality score highlights noteworthy infrastructure gaps, especially in technology integration. One of the most significant reasons for this steep decline in infrastructure quality has been the low levels of public investment over the years, which has fallen by more than 40% since the 1960s. The need to adopt smart, digital and innovative strategies to refur-
