Bengaluru’s top rank in the Easy of Living Index released by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has raised many eyebrows. How do Bengalureans perceive this ranking, considering the existential problems they face daily in the city? An interaction reveals interesting insights.
Software developer Pavani Krishna P has this to say: “When I read the news, I thought it was not true. I have been living here for three years and one of the biggest problems I face is obviously the traffic. Bengaluru would never be the city I would settle for post-retirement life.”
The city, she adds, is not well organised. “Anything you want, you have to travel very long distances, and then there is the pollution. The cost of living is too high, which affects economic stability of people. Anyone doing menial jobs is not able to even fulfil his basic needs due to the high prices.”
However, for Shiva Varshini, a student of Jyothi Nivas College, the city feels different. “I have been living here for six years. I have been to many places but Bengaluru always feels like home. Besides the awesome weather, I have found people here very kind and they have always helped me. Bengaluru is the best place for education and work and I’m planning to settle here,” she says.
Jayanagar resident Hemanth Pai has mixed feelings about the top ranking. “Bengaluru really deserves this ranking because I have lived in cities like Bombay, Delhi and Hyderabad. Comparatively, Bengaluru is the best place to live as people here are more open and accommodative. This is very rare in other places.”
However, Hemanth says, there are flaws that the city needs to address to sustain the high ranking. “The areas where Bengaluru could improve are basically related to transportation. There is a lack of adequate number of public transport buses and trains, the road condition is bad and water supply needs improvement,” he elaborates.
While giving approval for buildings and other constructions, he says, the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) should be more concerned about the environment and greenery. “If there is a zone for lakes, it should be maintained that way without encroachments. Poor enforcement of rules is the reason for most problems that the city face.”
For Saravanan B S, who resides in Yelahanka, the city’s high ranking is something to be happy about. However, there are areas that the government needs to improve if the ranking should fully match the ground realities.
Elaborating, he draws attention to the lack of drinking water supply in many parts of the city. “Besides, many trees were uprooted for the Metro construction. Women’s safety is an issue. Many lakes that the city was once known for, have been polluted. As for garbage management, why are we not recycling just like the rest of the world,” he wonders.
Bengaluru has done well in parameters related to economic stability. However, there are issues here too, reminds Saravanan. “Only the IT sector has major scope here. In the engineering sector, we don’t have many production units here like Tamilnadu. The government should focus on manufacturing to create more jobs.”