Unnao, India

Capital City

Unnao is a leather and chemical manufacturing hub, but don't expect an easy life. The city's population of 303,224 is packed into a web of congested streets and a quarter of the district's healthcare facilities are mere dispensaries. The bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with locals noting Unnao's civil administration was only re-established after the 1857 rebellion. And while the Ganges may be revered, it offers little in the way of practical irrigation, with its shifting course and high banks. This industrial satellite of Kanpur is a good fit for the hardy souls willing to navigate its challenges.