According to the ‘Ease of Living Index 2020’ released by Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) – Bengaluru (Karnataka) with a score of 66.7 has been ranked as India’s most liveable capital city followed by Chennai, Tamil Nadu at No. 2, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh at No. 3. The Index is part of the report titled State of India’s Environment 2021.
- Only 3 state capitals feature in the Top 10 most liveable cities list.
- This is the 2nd edition of Ease of Living Index 2020, the 1st edition was published in 2018.
Parameters
The Index is based on 4 Parameters – Quality of life, economic ability, sustainability & citizens’ perceptions. Based on which, Indian cities were rated out of 100.
- The Ease of Living Index 2020 has included the parameter – citizen’s perception for the first time.
| Capital City | Ease of Living Index Score |
|---|---|
| Bengaluru, Karnataka | 66.7 |
| Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 62.61 |
| Shimla, Himachal Pradesh | 60.9 |
Category wise rankings
i.In the ‘Quality of life’ category – Panaji, Goa ranked 1st, while Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir was the worst capital city. This category covers education, health, housing, solid waste management, safety and security, mobility and recreation.
ii.In the ‘Economic Ability’ category – Bengaluru, Karnataka has emerged as the best capital city while Kohima, Nagaland is the worst. This category covers the level of economic development and economic opportunities.
iii.On the ‘Sustainability’ front – Shimla, Himachal Pradesh is the best capital and Imphal, Manipur is the worst. This includes elements such as environment, green spaces and buildings, energy consumption and city resilience.
iv.In the ‘Citizen perception survey’ – the best capital is Bhubaneswar, Odisha and the worst is Delhi. This survey is used to assess the role of administrators.
Low levels of sewage treatment
i.The report flagged the low levels of sewage treatment in Indian cities. Only 28% of sewage generated is being treated overall.
ii.States & UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland do not treat sewage in their cities.
- Among 13 states & UTS less than 20% treat their sewage. 7 treat 20-50%. Only 5 states & UTs treat more than 50% of their sewage.
Recent Related News:
On February 4, 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) released the Final Rankings of Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020. Bengaluru toppex the index.
About Centre for Science & Environment (CSE)
Headquarters – New Delhi
Founder – Director – Anil Kumar Agarwal
Director General – Sunita Narain
