Friday, December 23, 2011

WATER WOES IN ROHAN TARANG WAKAD PUNE - Revisited


A few months ago I had written a blog post about our Water Woes in Wakad (I am re-posting the same below). 
Thankfully the situation improved since October and we thought our water woes were over.
But it was too good to be true. Just now I read a notice that the piping system had failed again and due to heavy leakage water would be shut down to enable repairs to the water supply system and that we should be prepared some more dry days. 
They are trying to solve the problem by building the overhead tank. I wonder how that will solve the problem because there is no problem with the water tank - the problem is due to the defective water supply system and poor quality of piping. It is surprising that this is happening in a new and prestigious residential complex.
Water is a basic necessity of living and all other plus points of Rohan Tarang like having a prime location, good architectural design and luxurious frills etc get nullified if water needs are not met.
Rohan Builders are reputed builders of Pune. I wish they live up to their reputation and find a permanent lasting solution to this water problem. 

Here is my earlier blog post on Water Woes in Rohan Tarang Wakad Pune


LIVING IN PUNE
LIFE IN WAKAD
WATER WOES IN ROHAN TARANG        
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Wakad Pune
03 September 2011


It is raining heavily all over in Pune. Lovely weather. Awesome view from the balcony of my 9th floor apartment in Rohan Tarang Society - rains, mist, clouds, green hills in the distance, the Mula River overflowing - water water everywhere but no water to drink. Unbelievable isn't it? But it is true. The high falutin sophisticated hydro-pneumatic water supply system in Rohan Tarang has failed us again and there is a big problem of water supply in our society. I had an inkling that this high technology was not suitable for our indigenous Pune conditions but no one listened to me, then. 

Read on, especially if you are thinking of buying a house in Pune ...


THEN

“Where are the water tanks?” I asked.

“What water tanks?” said the sales guy who was showing us the brand new apartment in the upmarket township.

“Overhead Water Tanks. There are no overhead water tanks on this building,” I observed.

The sales guy and the property manager looked at me as I were a relic of the prehistoric era, “Sir, this is modern high rise building. There are no overhead water tanks. There is a sophisticated water pumping system.”

“But at least there should be a small Sintex water tank in the balcony of each home for emergency use in case the main water supply fails,” I said.

“An ugly looking black plastic water tank in the balcony? It will spoil the whole show of the house. Sir, you are living in old times. This is a modern complex and we have an advanced water management system. It is the latest – we have it in all our projects. You will have assured 24/7 water supply,” the sales guy said and the property manager gave me a contemptuous look as if implying that I was probably unfit to live in this elite posh township.

Now my wife and son were looking at me as if I were a big embarrassment to them because of my old fashioned attitude, middle class mentality and archaic views.

I had learnt in school that water finds its own level. In my earlier home (a simple old fashioned bungalow) the main water tank was atop a hill. Twice a day they opened the valves of the huge main water storage tank and water flowed down by gravity into our overhead tank and we always knew how much water was there in the overhead tank on top of our house on the terrace.

However, as per all the “experts” standing around me, I was hopelessly outdated and this all this was obsolete technology, and it was high time I kept myself abreast with the latest things or else keep my mouth shut.

So, despite nagging doubts, I kept my mouth shut.


NOW

I wonder why we paid so much for an apartment which has such erratic water supply. Water is a basic need. Property prices in Pune are very expensive. In fact, the dismal infrastructure and the almost non-existent amenities certainly do not justify such exorbitant prices. And if they want you to pay so much, the least they can do is to ensure proper water supply.

With frequent regularity, as you are about to have a bath in the morning, the sophisticated water management system fails due to one reason or another and the water suddenly disappears and the taps dry up. And then, as desperate crisis-management patch-work repairs are carried out, we have to do without water for almost the whole day. All sorts of excuses are given – pipes burst, motors burn, pumps fail. And whenever the electric power supply fails (which happens very frequently, many times a day, and load shedding every Thursday for the whole day, in Pune) the water supply is affected (They do have a back-up generator but that doesn’t seem to help much as far as water supply goes). And this is a beautiful aesthetic brand new township called Rohan Tarang in Wakad is built by one of Pune’s leading builders, Rohan Builders, who have won prizes for their various projects. There seems to be something wrong somewhere if such failures occur in the first year itself. I hope Rohan Builders will live up to their reputation and brand name and find a lasting solution to our water woes problem.

It is all a question of appropriate technology. Why go in for sophisticated technology when we cannot provide basic inputs like proper uninterrupted electric power supply, quality material, reliable equipment and high-class workmanship which are sine qua non for efficient functioning of modern systems. Whenever I raise this matter with all concerned, including all those who scorned my old-fashioned ways, all they can do now is give me sheepish grins. One guy even told me that they have decided to have overhead water tanks on their new buildings from now on. But what about us?

Dear Reader, whenever you are buying a house, don’t forget to look for the overhead water tanks. Of course, in some parts of Pune, like Kondhwa for example, even if you have overhead water tanks they will be empty most of the time and you may have to buy tube-well or bore-well water from water tankers. But that is another story.


I pray that the problem will be solved soon and we will enjoy abundant water supply.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The water system at Rohan Tarang failed because the pipes were Kitec Pipes which were in use and it did not have the necessary strength to sustain the pressure of water being pumped by the hi-tec pneumatic pumps

Although not building an overhead tank was a goof up from the builders end

In the new phase Overhead tanks are being installed and instead of KITEC, GI pipes are being used in the plumbing system which has a higher level of sustainability,which would completely rule out the same problem occurring in the new phase (BLDNG A)

Coming back to the older bldngs;their water leakage problem would be resolved to some extent by the use of the overhead tanks since water would now flow solely through the aid of the gravitational force thus reducing the tension experienced by the Kitec pipes thus preventing the issue of pipes bursting in the fore mentioned bldngs

Vikram Waman Karve said...

Anonymous - Let's see. If A Wing becomes a part of the same society all the water supply system will be interconnected so that existing buildings will also benefit from the overhead water tank (that's what we were assured at society meetings) then we all share the problem and the benefits and the facilities. A-Wing owners would also be able to enjoy various facilities. However if A-Wing becomes a stand-alone society then it is a different matter altogether. All this will have to be discussed and debated at the general body meeting and decision taken with the consent of the majority of existing members.

Anonymous said...

What is the current situation of water supply. Is it good or still there are problems.

Anonymous said...

Hi can you please tell what is the current status of water as we are planning to take flat on rent there. Please reply ASAP so we can decide accordingly.

Vikram Waman Karve said...

Hi Anonymous,
For the last few days things seem to be okay with the water supply.
But there is a basic design problem in the water supply system which is quite unreliable and suddenly fails unexpectedly so you must be ready for a surprise once in a while.
Otherwise, Rohan Tarang is a good place to live in - surely the best location in Wakad.
All the Best