Chandigarh, Oct. 7 -- The city's planned urban landscape, extensive greenery, cycling infrastructure and civic-management practices left a lasting impression on visiting mayors from across the country who had converged in Chandigarh to attend the two-day 118th All India Mayors' Conference, which concluded here on Tuesday. Around 40 mayors from 19 cities across the country had participated in the conference. For Guwahati mayor Mrigen Sarania, the city's cycle tracks were among the first things to make an impression. He said that the city's more than 200-km dedicated cycling network was world class and also appreciated the city's civic practices, particularly segregation and door-to-door collection of waste."Chandigarh's cycle tracks are world class and create a lasting impression. The city has adopted some good practices, particularly in waste management and segregation. Door-to-door garbage collection remains a challenge for us in Guwahati. Our population is comparatively smaller, but it is increasing, and managing waste efficiently is becoming increasingly important," Sarania said. He also noted that Guwahati's system of electing the mayor differs from Chandigarh's, with the mayor elected indirectly by the councillors for a five-year term. Gangtok mayor Tshering Palden Bhutia said she was particularly taken by the manner in which Chandigarh had devoted substantial spaces to trees and greenery. She also appreciated the address by Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, in which he asked mayors to be always available to citizens and to go on field as much as possible. ForSonepat's mayor Rajiv Jain, Chandigarh's waste-management system was among the most striking aspects of the visit. Ujjain mayor Mukesh Tatwal was similarly impressed by Chandigarh's green cover. "The discussion at the conference on the need for greater uniformity in the tenure of mayors was welcoming. The participating mayors ultimately called for a uniform five-year tenure, along with greater powers and financial autonomy for urban local bodies," Tatwal said. Satna (city in Madhya Pradesh) mayor Yogesh Kumar Tamrakar highlighted their visit to Chandigarh's Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Sector 17, describing it as an informative experience. "I was so very impressed by the quality of the city's CCTV cameras and the manner in which technology is being used to manage traffic and monitor civic activity. The greenery in the city has left me spellbound," he said. Kolhapur (Maharashtra) mayor Ruparani Nikam also admired city's cycling infrastructure. "I was bowled in the hospitality, warmth and am highly impressed with the cctv cameras at the ICCC, the visit was really good," she said. The visiting mayors were also taken around some of prominent landmarks and civic institutions. Their itinerary included a visit to the Punjab and Haryana Vidhan Sabha, while the delegates also visited the Sukhna Lake, where they enjoyed boating. A visit to the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden was another highlight, with each visiting mayor planting a sapling as part of the programme.The interactions gave the civic leaders an opportunity not only to experience Chandigarh's distinctive urban character but also to see first-hand some of the practices that have shaped its reputation as a planned, green and relatively cycle-friendly city....