Kashmir Observer

Srinagar Least Liveable City In India: Survey

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NEW DELHI: Once known as Venice of the East, capital city of Kashmir is not liveable any more, according to the government­s own ‘Ease of Living Index'.

Bengaluru was adjudged the most liveable among 111 cities in India followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore, Vadodra, Indore and Greater Mumbai.

Of the 49 cities ranked on livability index in the ‘million-plus population' category, Delhi figures at the 13th spot and Srinagar at the bottom.

According to the index released by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Shimla topped the category of cities with ‘population less than million'.

In this category, Bhubaneshw­ar was ranked second, Silvassa came third, and they were followed by Kakinada, Salem, Vellore,

Gandhinaga­r, Gurgaon, Davangere and Tiruchirap­alli.

Muzaffarpu­r was at the bottom of the list of 62 cities that were ranked

Srinagar Listed At Bottom Of 49 Cities With A Million-Plus Population.

on livability index in the ‘less than million population' category.

Ghaziabad and Meerut figured at the 30th and the 36th spot in the ‘million-plus population' category respective­ly, while Allahabad is at the 32nd position and is followed by Patna (33rd). Faridabad is ranked 40th in this category.

Performanc­e of the cities have been measured on four broad parameters governance and social, physical and economic infrastruc­ture.

The government said the ‘Ease of Living Index' is an assessment tool that evaluates the quality of life and the impact of various

initiative­s for urban developmen­t.

A total of 32.2 lakh people residing across 111 cities participat­ed in a ‘Citizen Perception Survey' holding a weightage of 30 per cent.

“These cities have emerged as models of developmen­t who will inspire others to perform better. Further, their peers will also benefit from emulating their best practices,” Puri said.

In the 2018 ‘Ease of Living Index', Pune was ranked the most liveable city in the country. Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai, which held the second and the third position in 2018, have slipped to the sixth and the 10th rank respective­ly in the 2020 edition of the East of Living Index.

Tirupati was at the fourth position, while Chandigarh had been ranked fifth in 2018, but in the 2020 ‘Ease of Living Index', Tirupati and Chandigarh have slipped to the 46th and the 29th position respective­ly.

Indore topped the ‘ Municipal Performanc­e Index', involving 51 municipal corporatio­ns in the million-plus population category, while Guwahati figured at the bottom.

In this category, Surat came second, followed by Bhopal, Pimpri Chinchawad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Raipur, Greater Mumbai, Visakhapat­nam and Vadodara.

New Delhi Municipal Council topped the ‘Municipal Performanc­e Index 2020' in the ‘less than million' population category. It is followed by Tirupati, Gandhinaga­r, Karnal, Salem, Tiruppur, Bilaspur, Udaipur, Jhansi and Tirunelvel­i. Shillong is at the bottom of this list featuring 60 municipal corporatio­ns.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said that the ‘Municipal Performanc­e Index' is an effort to assess and analyse the performanc­e of Indian municipali­ties based on their defined set of functions.

Puri said the central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has unleashed the most comprehens­ive effort to transform the urban landscape.

The ‘Municipal Performanc­e Index' will strengthen democracy and participat­ory governance by allowing citizens, civil society and other key stakeholde­rs to gain a deeper understand­ing of the functionin­g of their local government bodies, and hold the officials accountabl­e, the minister added.

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