Water, power, sanitation, transportation, safety, and open spaces — these are issues we've written about extensively, every day, every year. We've gone into the little details to bring you the larger picture, dug out hard-to-find information to expose lacunae in the system. But, this time, we're doing it a little differently.We're using your perceptions to zoom in on problem areas, and tackle issues that you feel need urgent attention. A Times of India survey of all 200 wards in the city tells us how you, the resident of Chennai, perceive the delivery of basic services.
The two-phase Chennai Patrol survey covered more than 10,000 respondents. At least 40 people were interviewed in each ward in the first phase. The 8,000 respondents were selected randomly from the electoral rolls. People ranked their wards on a scale of 0 to 5, with five being the highest. Each of the six parameters had a further seven questions under them, taking the total number of indicators to 42. For instance, under sanitation, respondents had to score their ward on the basis of garbage collection, overall cleanliness, cleanliness of roads, quality of drainage, cleanliness of drainage pipes, and overall satisfaction. Ward-wise scores were drawn up based on the results of these 42 indicators. To ensure that there was no oversight, a further 3,200 interviews were conducted, and final ward-wise scores were decided based on the two sets of interviews.
The results show that while the city is not unliveable, there are many sectors that require attention. The rapid growth of the last few years has outpaced infrastructure development, leading to uneven standards. For instance, residents of ward 52 in Royapuram (Zone 5), which includes Anjeneyapuram and Railway Colony, have said they are extremely satisfied with amenities while extended areas like Semmanchery and Uthandi throw up mixed results -- one scores among the lowest and another high. Two aspects on which there is near unanimity though: footpaths which get uniformly abysmal ratings across the city, and public toilet facilities.
But the idea isn't just to criticise: It's also to awaken councillors and officials to the problems people face so that the 65 lakh Chennai-ites can live in a city where everything works. Wards can compare scores and best practices, demand better services from authorities, and learn from one another's experiences.
Over the next few weeks, we'll put these results under the microscope and ask some hard questions about quality of life. We'll point fingers when censure is needed, pat backs when praise is due. Join Chennai Patrol, make the city a better place to live in. The presenting sponsor for Chennai Patrol is CREDAI.
Source: http://to.ly/mbl7
