Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (RJP)

Mangaluru, Aug 14: No Karnataka city figures even in the top 25 Indian cities in the Ease of Living Index, which rates Pune as the best city to live in. Bengaluru was rated 55th among major cities surveyed to assess living conditions of urban areas in the country. Mangaluru is ahead of Bengaluru with 41st rank.

Navi Mumbai bagged the second place followed by Greater Mumbai. Temple town Tirupati was ranked fourth in the country.

The survey was commissioned by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 111 major cities, including all urban clusters selected to be developed as smart cities.

Maharashtra has 3 cities in the top list. But out of 7 cities surveyed from Karnataka, no city makes it to the top list. Mangaluru ranks 41st in the list as best in Karnataka while Davanagere ranks 83rd as the last from the state.

Belagavi got the 52nd rank, Hubballi-Dharwad 57th rank, Bengaluru city bagged 58, Shivamogga 67 and Tumakuru 70.

Delhi came at the 65th place and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh figured at the bottom of the livability index. Chennai has been ranked 14th, while Kolkata did not participate in the survey.

This is the first-ever exercise undertaken by the ministry to rank the country's major cities on the basis of four key parameters of ease of living, governance, social aspects — including educational institutions, healthcare, economic criteria — including job opportunities and physical infrastructure, including solid waste management, electricity and water supply.

Releasing the index, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the Ease of Living Index enables cities to assess livability vis-a-vis global and national benchmarks and encourage them to have a better approach in urban planning and management.