Summary:
MUMBAI: Cities in Maharashtra have taken the top three positions as well as the sixth rank in the first national survey of the most liveable cities. Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai featured on the podium, while Thane was sixth.The Ease of Living Index of 111 cities released on Monday ranked Rampur in UP at the bottom, followed by Kohima in Nagaland and Patna. West Bengal did not participate in the exercise.Not everyone is convinced by the rankings. "If Mumbai is considered liveable despite all this (long commutes and high pollution), it is really frightening as it means quality of life is even worse in other cities," said Subodh Kumar, a former Mumbai municipal commissioner. Bengaluru, which has seen congestion become a serious drawback, ranks 58 and Hyderabad 27.Although Pune did not bag the top rank in any of the 15 parameters the cities were judged on, it finished in the first 10 in nine categories.Interestingly, PM Narendra Modi 's constituency Varanasi ranked 33..