Lavasa
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Lavasa (
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
: लवासा, lavāsā) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
,
planned city A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
in the state of
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
built near
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
. It is stylistically based on the Italian town
Portofino Portofino (; ) is a ''comune'' located in the Metropolitan City of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore. Since the late 19th centur ...
, with a street and several buildings bearing the name of that town. A or project being developed by HCC, this as-yet-incomplete city has been controversial for multiple reasons including procurement of land, harm to the environment, and loans acquired through political corruption. In late 2010, the Indian Environment and Forests Ministry ordered that construction cease because the project violated environmental laws. As of late 2011, this order has been rescinded. The project's scale may have been reduced, however, and an
initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
may not occur. As of 2023, a resolution plan has been approved by the National Company Law Tribunal, with Darwin Platform Infrastructure Ltd being declared as the successful bidder responsible for the city's construction.


History

Billed as India's first
hill station A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...
since
independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
, the plans for this private grand township were unveiled by Ajit Gulabchand in 2006. The architectural team responsible for the design of the town wanted it be an imitation of an Italian hill-side town.


Land

The area demarcated for Lavasa is located near
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
in the Mulshi valley of the Western Ghats.


Current progress

Construction of two out of the five planned towns is ongoing, and a number of residences have been completed as of 2013.Everything is back on table including Lavasa IPO: HCC
moneycontrol.com, 29 May 2013
By 2011 four hotels and a city centre were completed. A primary, middle, and high school, Le Mont High, were constructed as well.
Le Mont High official site. Retrieved 31 August 2011
The town also boasts a hospitality management college, École hôtelière Lavasa.


Administration

Scot Wrighton was the administrator of the city as of 2011 and held the office until 2019.


Surrounding village

Smaller, pre-existing communities sometimes interact with Lavasa and its residents. Some have been the focus of CSR efforts, and villagers provide construction labour to the project.


Future plans

Lavasa has established a pattern of promoting planned partnerships with prestigious, overseas institutions that do not ultimately see fruition. Oxford University had at one point associated itself with the project, but other, name-brand plans including future sports facilities have yet to be officially cancelled. The city has a better track record when it comes to construction; some sections are complete today. It is thought that Lavasa will not be finished before 2030, however. When fully built, its total population may be 200,000, and it will consist of four or five towns built on seven hills. The first of these, Dasve, was initially slated to be complete by 2010 although some residences there were still under construction as of 2013. Mugaon, the second town, may be finished in 2013, and as of May, 2013, construction continues. Work on this town began in mid-2012. In 2013, the chairman of the construction company building the project confirmed that Lavasa will include four large towns. As of 2023, the city's acquisition was approved by the
National Company Law Tribunal The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is a quasi-judicial body in India that adjudicates issues relating to Indian companies. The tribunal, established under the Companies Act 2013, was constituted on 1 June 2016 by the government of India a ...
to Darwin Platform Infrastructure for ₹1,814 crore.


Education

The CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Pune Lavasa (Residential) campus is an off campus Institution of CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Bangalore, which was established in Lavasa in 2014 is the only active educational institution in Lavasa.


Awards and recognition

Lavasa has won several awards for its plans and designs. In 2005, Dasve village in Lavasa won awards from the Congress for the New Urbanism and the American Society of Landscape Architects. In 2009, the St. Louis chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects recognised the Lavasa landscape master plan with a merit award.


Controversies


Environmental damage

An Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests team investigating Lavasa concluded that the city has caused
environmental damage Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...
, since Lavasa is built "in the scenic hills of the Western Ghats, a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
known for its evergreen tropical forests that shelter 325 species of vulnerable or endangered animals, birds and fauna." Post reviewing the project, this ministry provided clearance on 9 November 2011 to Lavasa with specific conditions, such as a cessation of hill cutting activities, building of a sewage treatment plant, and anti-poverty CSR measures aimed at the local population.


Quarrying

While Lavasa has stone crushing permits, its operations have been described as "hill cutting" and "quarrying" by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the environmental impact of these activities was investigated. In 2014, Mrs. Jayanti Natarajan, in her open letter to Congress president, stated that she had got a specific input from Rahul Gandhi's office to stall the project.


Land acquisition

Both government and individual land owners have taken issue with Lavasa's land acquisition approach. A report by the
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
environment department claims of land bought by Lavasa Corporation was purchased from farmers who had been granted it by the Indian State. Because of the way in which the farmers obtained the land, three fourths of the purchase price should have been paid to the State. The report states Lavasa Corporation only paid 2%. It also alleges that of Lavasa were leased for far less than its actual value by the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation and that Lavasa bought of land without license. Some also say that Lavasa is being built on what was obtained through coercion. However, Lavasa Corporation denies this.


Use of water resources

Lavasa will use the same water resources that currently supply
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
, and it is claimed that this move is likely to cause a supply shortage.Water being diverted to Lavasa, alleges Patkar
, ''The Indian Express'', 8 July 2009
However, a 2011 report by the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Environment Ministry concluded that there will be no impact on Pune's water supply.


Orders to halt construction

For a one-year period from late 2010 to late 2011, construction of Lavasa was halted due to orders issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.HCC to revamp Lavasa finances, decide on IPO
reuters.com, 13 November 2011
In late 2010, it ordered Lavasa Corporation to halt further construction for not having gathered proper clearances. In November 2011, this ministry relented, and construction is no longer impeded by law. While grant of an environmental clearance was recommended in May, 2011, Lavasa was only alerted to the fact that clearance was granted on 9 November 2011.


Accusations of nepotism

Sharad Pawar Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (, pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, əɾəd̪ pəʋaːɾ born 12 December 1940) is an Indian politician. Pawar served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for four terms and in the Union Council of Ministers ...
, an Indian politician born in the state of Maharashtra, is alleged to have demanded compensation for allowing Lavasa to be constructed. When Lavasa Corporation was receiving necessary clearances from the government of Maharashtra, relatives of Pawar had part-ownership of the company developing the project. Pawar's daughter and son-in-law had more than 20% ownership between 2002 and 2004, and they later sold their stakes. A nephew of his was the chairman of Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation when it signed off on lease agreements for Lavasa and allowed Lavasa to store water and build dams.


See also

* Aamby Valley City


References

{{Western Ghats Planned communities in India Private cities Cities and towns in Pune district Populated places in the Western Ghats New Urbanism communities Resorts in India Hill stations in Maharashtra Environmental controversies Corruption in Maharashtra