As the Capital gears up for the Commonwealth Games 2010, there is some good news that will give a further boost to its image.
According to the Liveability Index 2010, Delhi has topped the charts when it comes to the quality of life. The index is generated based on a study conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Institute For Competitiveness, (IFC) India.
Following Delhi closely are Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune, ranked 2nd to 8th, respectively, in the overall quality of life ratings. Ironically, the NCR, which should have kept pace with the development of Delhi, has failed to do so. Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad have been ranked 9th, 27th and 32nd, respectively.
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 development 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 parks, it said. The study was released by M. Ramachandran, secretary, urban development, ministry of urban development. Despite the safety of women in Delhi always having been under the scanner, the study has put Delhi as the safest city, followed by Bhopal and Bengaluru.
However, the NCR of Gurgaon and Noida rank poorly in terms of women's safety. Delhi tops the list of being an educational hub and sound economic environment followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru. On the education front, the poorest performers are Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, and Vadodara Mumbai stands at the top rank in socio- political environment, followed by Delhi, Kolkata, Goa and Chennai. In fact, Mumbai also leads in city planning followed by Chennai and Delhi.
