New Delhi: Delhi is the best Indian city to
live in, while steel city Jamshedpur ranks lowest in the
Liveability Index 2010 prepared jointly by CII and Institute
for Competitiveness.
Country`s financial capital Mumbai comes second in the
list of 37 cities mapped in the list, prepared on parameters
like living standard, socio-cultural environment, education,
medical standards and recreational possibilities among others.
Delhi comes on top in education, safety and economic
environment; second in housing options, socio-cultural
political environment; but medical standards remains the
Achilles heel where the national capital finds 17th place.
"In overall quality of life, Delhi outscores on Mumbai,
Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune and
Gurgaon, which take up respective ranks second to ninth," the
report said, adding that Faridabad, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Patna,
Visakhapatnam and Jamshedpur are the last six ranked cities on
overall quality of life.
"Chandigarh is a surprising 14th on this, proving that a
city needs much more than apparent beauty to be truly
liveable," it said using data from organisations like Centre
for Monitoring of Indian Economy.
Mumbai aced the demographic advantage and is blessed with
the healthiest socio-cultural politico environment as well as
natural-built environment, where Delhi comes close second.
Delhi, however, turns out to be the safest city in the
country "contrary to negative press against it".
As Gurgaon and Noida have the worst record, the report
said, "Delhi could be a simple victim of devils bearing
proximity".
A liveable city, according to the report, is not just an
urbanised area in an urbanised region defined by the presence
of a municipality. Liveability refers to an urban system that
contributes to the physical, social and mental well being and
personal developments of all its inhabitants, it said.
"The quality of life experienced by the citizens living
in a city is tied to their ability to access infrastructure,
food, clean air, affordable housing, meaningful employment and
green space and perks," it said.
PTI
