Here's Why This Fastest Growing Tech-Hub 'Bengaluru' Ranked Least Livable City In India

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the Global Livability Index 2022 (GLI), which ranks the cities globally according to their living conditions and calculation on numerous parameters. In 2022, the EIU analysed a total of 173 cities worldwide, in which five cities- Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad were from India. Surprisingly, a study was conducted last year, which ranked Bengaluru as the fastest-growing tech hub in the world, and now It's ranked as the least livable city in India according to the GLI 2022.

It is noted that all the Indian cities were ranked between 140 and 146, which brings them to the bottom side of the index. New Delhi ranked among Indian cities at 140th position (score 56.5). Followed by Mumbai, which received 141st rank (score 56.2), and Chennai got 142nd rank (score 55.8). Then Ahmedabad received 143rd rank with a 55.7 score, and finally, it's Bengaluru that got awarded 146th rank with a 54.4 score. This year, for the first time, the index included Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru, as earlier only Mumbai and Delhi were featured in the index report.

Why Bengaluru Settled In The Bottom?

In the exercise to rank cities, the EIU focuses on five broad parameters- healthcare, stability, education, infrastructure, and culture & environment. Among all the parameters, stability and, culture & environment holds the highest weightage of 25 per cent. Whereas infrastructure and healthcare get a weightage of 20 per cent weight, education carries a weightage of 10 per cent weight.

Bengaluru gave a tough fight to all the Indian cities when it came to healthcare, stability, and culture & environment. Still, the city's infrastructure pulled it to the bottom of the index. Delhi scored the highest in infrastructure with a 62.5 score (out of 100). Followed by Mumbai, which got a 55.4 score, and Ahmedabad and Chennai received 50 scores each. It's again Bengaluru which received a score of 46.2 out of 100 when it came to analysing the city's infrastructure.

A resident of SG Palya, Bengaluru, Ramesh Rao, while talking to The Logical Indian, said, "I have gone through the index report which has been released recently, and it's very saddening to know that our city majorly lags when it comes to infrastructure. As a daily commuter and a public transport user, I face many challenges in terms of traffic congestion. The city's traffic system and road condition took it to the bottom in the index. Numerous potholes cause difficulty while driving, and it's also a risk to the life of commuters."

What Do Bangaloreans Think?

Over the past few years, netizens across several social media platforms have shown their disappointment with Bengaluru roads and traffic management systems. A Twitter user, Nagarjun Dwarkanath, said, "2.2 Hours for a 6 km commute in Bangalore today. Peaker than peak Bangalore!" In a reply, a user wrote, "Traffic traffic... Due to traffic on airport road... My 35kms drive from somewhere on Doddaballapur road to Kanakapura road was estimated at 3 hrs by Google Maps and also suggested a 74 km alternative route. Covered in 2 hours through NICE. Either way, tired."

In a recent incident, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) spent Rs 23 crore to develop a 14-Km stretch of road ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bengaluru's Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE). Just a walk from the BASE, the road cratered after an overnight spell of rain. In contrast, many incidents took place in the IT capital over the last few months, which took the life of several commuters and left many injured. A 27-year-old boy, identified as Ashwin, lost his life near the M S Palya area while returning home when he fell into a pothole dug by BBMP, reported Hindustan Times.

2.2 Hours for a 6 km commute in Bangalore today.

Peaker than peak Bangalore! #BangaloreTraffic

— Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) June 4, 2022

In the Global Livability Index 2022, even Karachi, Pakistan, which is ranked as the least livable city in the world, performed better than Bengaluru when it came to the infrastructure parameter. Recently, the Bengaluru administration officials and BBMP jointly pulled out an initiative to make roads better and more effective for transportation.

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