Pune has emerged as better than Mumbai or Delhi in terms of liveability, according to a quality of life survey by Mercer, a consulting firm. Hyderabad — ranked 139th — was the highest-ranked city from India, followed by Pune, which was ranked 144th while Mumbai and Delhi ranked 152nd and 161st, respectively, among 230 cities in the world.
The survey has noted that the increase in population in metropolitan cities, like Mumbai and Delhi, in recent times has deteriorated various existing civic problems such as air pollution, lack of access to clean drinking water and traffic congestion.
Even Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the globe, ranked 137th with Colombo in Sri Lanka at 132 — both higher than any other Indian city.
Also, among Asian cities, Singapore, which is ranked 26, tops the list, followed by Tokyo, along with four cities in Japan. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia occupies the 84th spot.
The survey says, “Vienna, Austria’s grand capital on the Dabube river, offers the highest quality of life among all the cities in the globe. While Baghdad, which is the capital city of Iraq, disturbed by the ongoing violence of ISIS, occupies the last spot, which is 230.”
The annual survey is prepared so that it can help companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses dozens of criteria, such as political stability, healthcare, education, crime, recreation, transport, and medical and health considerations and housing.
In 2015, the Mercer survey on quality of life evaluated more than 440 cities around the world for the assessment and Vienna was at the top in 2015 as well.
Hyderabad ranked 138th, Pune 144th, Mumbai 152nd and New Delhi 154th in 2015.
