GUWAHATI: Experts have termed the Centre’s assessment of the ease of living in cities in Northeast “incorrect” and a survey which does not take into consideration the limitations of topography besides critical technical issues related to hilly areas.
The Union housing and urban affairs ministry had earlier this week released the results of its survey on the “Ease of Living” in 111 cities across the country with Pune topping the list while all the cities/towns in the Northeast surveyed were placed in the bottom half.
Shillong was ranked 98th while Gangtok was the “best placed Northeast city” at 74th slot, followed by Aizawl and Guwahati at 84th and 85th slots respectively. Worse still, Itanagar was placed 106th while Kohima was ranked 110th.
“In my opinion, Shillong to be ranked 98th is not a fair assessment. Yes, we have issues with solid waste and waste water management besides transport and urban governance including traffic congestion. But things are improving.” Meghalaya State Planning Board expert member, Naba Bhattacharjee told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
“Besides, one has to consider our terrain where certain amenities say flyovers, etc are not feasible. Widening of roads is almost impossible. What we need now is social and third party neutral audit of all schemes and encouragement of civil society engagement. Above all the land tenure and holding system requires a relook particularly for ‘common good’ purposes,” Bhattacharjee said.
The ministry had studied quality of life in the cities based on parameters such as institutional (governance), social (identity, education, health, security), economic ( economy, employment) and physical (waste water and solid waste management, pollution, housing/ inclusiveness, mixed land use, power and water supply, transport, public open spaces) factors.
“The figures are never correct especially when conducted under a jaundiced mindset. Any city for that matter has a certain degree of difficulty faced by its inhabitants especially those from outside. Shillong is an educational hub, undisputedly of course on the higher side in terms of cost, but it is comparatively cheaper than other cities. The cost of living is also higher in other parts of the country,” VGK Kynta, senior advocate of Meghalaya High Court, said.
Kynta however said that there is a stumbling block as far as housing in the city is concerned, whether for locals or non locals.
“But healthcare is better in Shillong than most cities even as specialised treatment may not be up to mark. Socially the people are amiable except for a disgruntled few, which is the case in other parts of the country also. Land tenure is not a hindrance which is needed to protect its indigenous inhabitants. In spite of laws in place, alienation is happening. Benami activities are in full view. Yet we cannot be categorised otherwise. Let’s not take the result seriously, and Shillong to my mind should have been at the top of the table,” he said.
JN Khataniar, a consultant engineer here said that cities located on hills have many critical and technical issues unlike those situated on flat land and that there are vast differences of lifestyle accordingly.
“Here I might add that in spite of all our clean and green initiatives, the city of Shillong has its own beauty with an exclusive identity in the Northeast,” Khataniar said.
He however said that a long-term vision was the need of the hour for elimination of some existing deficiencies in cities and towns of the Northeast.