YourSpace: Pune loses top spot in Ease of Living Index... Rankings are way off reality

Pune has failed to retain its top position among 111 most liveable cities with a population of more than a million in the Ease of Living Index 2020 (EoLI) declared by the central government on March 4 this year

Pune has failed to retain its top position among 111 most liveable cities with a population of more than a million in the Ease of Living Index 2020 (EoLI) declared by the central government on March 4 this year. The city ranked top position in the first EoLI report released in 2018. EoLI is an indicator on quality of life and impact of initiatives for urban development. Where has authorities lacked to make urban life more effective?

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Public transport, sanitation need attention

There should be continuous efforts to maintain the top spot at ease of living rankings. As compared to other cities, Pune is comfortable to live in but it is not easy. A lot of attention needs to be given towards public transportation and sanitation. These two factors are often ignored. Punekars still don’t have efficient public transportation. Also, steps should be taken to clear piling and overflowing garbage seen on roadsides.

Sharayu Fukey

Interior areas are ignored

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should not only improve civic amenities of main streets but also interior localities of the city. Many roads of these areas are not in good shape and public complaints are often ignored. Regular road repairs should be carried out. Also, some areas face acute water shortage. A good city is defined for equitable drinking water distribution. It is not enough to achieve top rankings on the index, the results should be reflected on ground also.

Sukhada Dikey

City’s traffic management is bad

Traffic remains the worst problem for those living in Pune. Authorities should have been paying more attention to it. The road traffic has eased a bit as many are working from home because of the Covid situation. Otherwise it seems that authorities are not paying attention to this problem. Roads are blocked during rains or some civic works. An efficient system has to be developed to deal with such situations. Good public transport system could be a solution to it, but not enough is being done about it.

Anand Ganorkar

Bicycle-sharing system fails in city

Authorities chalk out plans and leave it midway. A year before, there was a plan of public sharing bicycle. Friend and I used the facility when we visited Jungli Maharaj road. But now I don’t see the cycles anywhere. What happened to that plan? There has to good implementation of plans. Sometimes work is not completed on schedule. I often see hastily and incomplete construction work and potholes. Delay of civic works can be understood, but it should be completed.

Indrani Bhagat

Provide clean public toilets for women

I often visit Mandai, Ravivar peth, Tulshibaugh and Laxmi road for shopping. These are prime areas flooded with people. Yet, there are no decent facilities of washroom. It becomes difficult for women. Many people from various parts of the city visit these areas. Authorities should provide appropriate facility of washroom and drinking water. Besides constructing washrooms, it should also be properly maintained. Many women avoid public toilets because of unsanitary conditions. What about the ease of a woman’s living? Isn’t it an essential part of a city?

Supriya Parakhi

Better hospital care must

People should feel comfortable and reassured while going to a public hospital. Everyone should get healthcare facilities such as ambulance, first aid in times of emergencies. Are we getting it? Can the poor also get the same standard of treatment? It should be kept in mind. Also, when a new person comes into the city, s/he should feel comfortable in finding necessary things easily. Such system should be created.

Mrunali Akolkar

Residents should help each other

I feel residents of a city should be cooperative and supportive towards each other. Then only ease of living can be achieved. Of course, administration has a big role in it, but citizens should ask whether they are making each other’s life easier? We should embrace community life. Try to care more for each other. Try to help each other more. Then only mental ease of life will be achieved.

Vinay Girhe

Rankings are way off from reality

The central government (mainly the ministry of housing and urban affairs) since 2014 seems quite obsessed with holding/supporting intra city competitions on various fronts. If these competitions yield good results seen n ground, Punekars would be the most enthused Indians. Whether it is the Ease of Business, Janagraha, Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, Happy City and Indian Smart City initiatives or the latest results on Ease of Living Index.

The authorities should give respondent and sample details

Basic service parameters that cover “ease of living” are missing on ground in Pune. Poor urban planning, regular traffic jams, yearly flooding, abysmal garbage collections and disposal, unplanned and unfinished infra projects, bad roads and badly designed footpaths and cycle tracks, missing street lights and hawker menace, ineffective public transport and air pollution are some of the key issues. On what basis are respondents picked? Whether the respondents are Punekars, or tourists, or picked on the streets…as the percentages in scoring are way off target from reality.

If it means that cities compete against the worst, then these competitions are a success. But, if it to extract the best outcome out of each city doing a self-assessment by having them compete against themselves, these ranking are abject failure.

Qaneez Sukhrani