Thane drops to 11th rank in Ease of Living Index in country

Despite fall from 6th position, city performs well in economic development, quality of life and sustainability

THANE: Thane, like Navi Mumbai, too has lost its ranking in the Ease of Living Index this year, from sixth in 2018 to 11th in 2020. The silver lining, however, is that it leads in economic development with a score of 40.52 per cent in the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) compared to Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

The industrial belt in Wagle Estate and the factories along Pokhran Road are the reasons for the economic development, as per the report. Moreover, the city has performed well in the quality of life (55 per cent) and sustainability (54.9 per cent) pillars as well.

Although the city has scored well in the Economic Development category, it has low scores when it comes to economic opportunities, which could be because of the restricted access and awareness about credit and skills development.

The Wagle Estate area was developed into an industrial hub in 1962 when the Asian Electronic Company was established. With many industries developed in the vicinity, Asia’s biggest industrial area was established here. At present, there are over 15,000 small and medium-scale enterprises in Wagle Estate wherein 1.25 lakh labourers work. In the last few years, the industrial estate of Wagle Estate is also recognised as the IT park of Thane as most IT companies have come up in the area.

Mayuresh Bhadsavle, urban policy maker, Thane, said, “Thane has a very different economic character which does not reflect in this index, there are informal settlements in the city like the Agri and Koli gaothans or the Adivasi padas. The domestic workers or hawkers do not reflect in the indices. Moreover, the middle-class mostly reside outside the city limits. Manufacturing hub in Wagle Estate and the IT hub on Ghodbunder Road have created an industrial belt in the city. However, most people working here are not local residents. Hence, although the Economic Development is high, the economic opportunities in the city are low. All those who work and stay in Thane are mostly under the informal sectors, who do not reflect in these indices.”

Thane scored 54.9 per cent in sustainability, which includes safety and security within the city, city resilience and housing and shelter pillars wherein Thane has scored well too.

However, recreation facilities in the city are poor as per the index, according to experts, although Thane has multiple art festivals, exhibitions and theatres, there is a lack of open natural spaces like playgrounds and gardens.

When it comes to sustainability, there are three important factors like environment, economic and social sustainability,y said Sulakshana Mahajan, urban planner expert, Thane. “When it comes to environmental sustainability, the city does not face any devastating natural disasters. At the most, we have seen flooding. Floods and heavy rains are mostly on the low lying areas of the city. It isn’t as impactful as in Mumbai, though. Similarly, when it comes to social sustainability, the city’s crime rate is less than Mumbai and public transport is available to every part of the city. There has been no social unrest in recent times and less discrimination among people as well. People from all walks of life either find opportunities to work here or the geographical location of the city is such that they manage to travel to Mumbai or Navi Mumbai conveniently looking for jobs,” added Mahajan.

Better Road infrastructure has also helped Thane score 48.40 per cent in mobility ranking, second only to Chennai, although with a huge margin.

“Thane as a whole has better infrastructure facilities and road network as well as improving the connectivity around the city. The youth are well educated and hence there is a growing demand for IT hubs, many corporates are setting up their offices here. Moreover, realty is affordable in comparison to Mumbai, there are many developers who are keen to set up housing complexes in the city and its vicinity. All of these impact economic development. Many Marathi serials and movies are also choosing the city as a viable option for shooting not only for its location but also due to the friendly administration,” said Rajesh Narvekar, collector, Thane district.