Haven't been to Lavasa for past 6 months but it's making a lot of news. It seems Lavasa has been pumping water from Khadakvasla Dam. Pune residents are suffering to support Lavasa's construction activity. Imagine what will happen when Lavasa is occupied!
Times of India has signed a private treaty with Lavasa which essentially means that no adverse report about Lavasa will be published. Expect to hear only good things. ToI is already running a huge campaign promoting Lavasa. Obviously Lavasa is a hard sell, so it needs all the publicity it can get to rope in those well heeled buyers.
Blog reader Rajaram asks me if Lavasa is worth the money. For me, no. Firstly because I don't have that kind of money and secondly for Lavasa to flourish, it has to be a living township. Which means people from all strata of society must work and live there. Lavasa is contracting out all services. Maintenance, restaurants, dry cleaners etc. which means cost of services will be artificially high. If it's not a living township, it'll be a dead place. I wonder when Lavasa will be ready for a family or a couple to make it their first home. Methinks that many years away unless one has a job in Lavasa. Even Ekant's staff live in Paud and commute daily to work. As do Lavasa office staff.
Lavasa by 2011 will be ok as a second home like many people have in Lonavala etc. Even for that you need infrastructure support. Liquor stores, groceries, vegetable vendors, eateries and so on.
Like Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar, lots of buyers will put their homes on holiday rental. The best months will be from June to Sept and then Nov - Feb. Why buy when one can rent?
I'll visit Lavasa again in the coming months and post an update. Sad to say the quality of food in Ekant has gone down considerably.
