Travelling In Pune

TRAVELLING IN PUNE
By
VIKRAM KARVE




The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere. 


Just sit at home, watch the travel channel on cable TV, travel in your mind’s eye and enjoy yourself vicariously. 


That is if you are lucky to have electricity, and if there is no power supply due to load shedding or a routine maintenance shutdown you can do even more exciting things like meditation, playing patience, or doing nothing (doing nothing makes time pass slowly and prolongs life). 


And if you are a workaholic just stay put at your workplace. 


Sorry for digressing – this piece is about traveling in Pune. 


The roads are dug up, there are diversions, and there is traffic chaos, so think twice before taking out your car, especially during peak hours. 


A friend of mine started off towards my place near Wakad yesterday morning, got stuck in a massive traffic jam, tried to take a short cut, and got lost in the maze, like in the Bhool-Bhulaiya of Lucknow. 


Many a time I have had to drive cross-country, traversing unknown paths, taking adventurous short cuts, to reach the airport or station on time. 


If you’re dying for a drive, head for the nearest highway – it’s easier to get to Mumbai from Hinjewadi than to get to Kharadi, Kalyaninagar, Hadapsar, or Wanowrie. 


And if you are lucky enough to live in the heart of the city or camp, just take out your parasol, put on your walking shoes and walk. 


Walk, don’t drive, is the motto of the day in Pune. 


But if you have made the blunder of shifting to the suburbs, it’s best to go nowhere, and languish away. 


When I was a small boy (in the 1960’s and later in the 1970s too), we used to cycle all over Pune – but I dare not try it today, lest I land up in a Hospital with my bones broken or worse still in Vaikunth or Kailas crushed to pulp. 


There is just no place for the poor cyclist in the murderous traffic and what’s left of the roads. The only place you can cycle is on those cycle lanes on the BRTS Route on Satara Road.


And if you have a motorcycle, or scooter, and have the guts to negotiate through the chaotic traffic, best of luck! 


Otherwise try the PMT bus, or take an auto-rickshaw and tell me all about it!  


There are just too many people traveling all over Pune. 


I don’t know why they don’t build living accommodation for employees in the workplace – that should reduce at least half the traffic traveling to work and back, besides enhancing productivity. 


Just imagine traveling from, say, your home in Kalyaninagar, Kondhwa or Hadapsar all the way to the IT Park in Hinjewadi and back every day. 


What a waste to time, fuel, and emotional energy! 


I am fortunate. I have to go nowhere, so it is easy for me to follow my own dictum – The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere




VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

BUYING A HOME IN PUNE - TIPS FROM A NOVICE

ARE YOU THINKING OF BUYING A HOME IN PUNE RIGHT NOW

TIPS FROM A NOVICE

By

VIKRAM KARVE

 

Are you thinking of buying a HOME in PUNE right NOW?

 

Firstly, please note – I said HOME not HOUSE.

 

A home is where you plan to live with your family. If you are thinking of buying a house for investment, or to earn money by renting out, then maybe some of the things I am going to say may not be entirely applicable.

 

The second important word is PUNE.

 

Why Pune? Unless you have got a very strong reason to settle down in Pune it is not really worthwhile to buy a home in Pune. Considering the poor infrastructure (terrible roads, traffic chaos, poor public transport and connectivity, frequent disruptions of electricity and load-shedding, water shortages, et al) and the unexceptional quality of life, the exorbitant property prices in Pune are not justified at all. Yes, you will not get value for your money in Pune as you may in some other place. Remember, Pune is no longer the charming town it used to be – I think the city has reached saturation point and is almost bursting at its seams and the infrastructure is simply not able to cope up with the burgeoning population and proliferating concrete jungle.

 

The third key word is NOW.

 

Hold your horses. Be patient. Wait for real estate prices to correct and stabilize. Like I said I am a novice, but some of my “knowledgeable” friends say that a recession is round the corner and real estate prices in Pune are going to fall.

 

TIP No. 1 – ONE LOOK IS WORTH A THOUSAND REPORTS

 

A few years ago we attended a slick presentation by the sales team of a reputed builder trying convince a gullible young group of upwardly mobile persons to book an apartment in an upcoming project in Pune.

 

“It’s just a five minute drive to the Railway Station,” they said.

 

Today, a guy who bought an apartment there, considers himself lucky if he can reach the railway station in less than an hour negotiating the heavy chaotic traffic of Pune and with the delays at traffic jams at numerous traffic signals enroute. (Yes, the railway station is precisely 8 kilometers away, but is it possible to drive at an average  speed of 96 kmph to cover 8 Kms in 5 minutes? This may be possible on the expressway but certainly not in Pune City where you can barely get an average speed of 10 kmph).

 

“Beautiful green open spaces surround the project,” they said.

 

My friend finds himself in the midst of a concrete jungle, surrounded by a crowd of tall buildings which ensure the sun hardly ever reaches his first floor home. There is noise pollution and air pollution from the road below. Tell me, who is going to leave open spaces open anymore? If you find an open space be sure that a building will come up there or worse still a slum my proliferate rapidly covering all the left over open spaces.

 

This example brings me to Tip No. 1 - One Look Is Worth A Thousand Reports.

 

There is an ancient saying: Don’t Marry a Girl Without Seeing the Girl and Don’t Buy Land Without Seeing the Land.

 

Well this applies to all types of property and real estate, whether it is land, a bungalow, a row house or an apartment. You must visit the site and see the property for yourself. Also you must ensure that what you see is what you get and for this it is always better to buy a home in a project that is ready, otherwise you may in for a big surprise.

                     

In Pune the most important aspect to consider is location. Commuting is a nightmare in Pune and things are only going to get worse. One cannot see any urgent efforts at improving the road network, and in the absence of efficient public transport, vehicles are rapidly proliferating and the traffic scene is going to get even more chaotic every passing day.

 

In peak hours there are continuous traffic jams and it sometimes takes me more time for me get to Koregaon Park (25 kms) from my home in Wakad than it takes me to get to Belapur in Navi Mumbai more than 100 kms away by the expressway. Petrol prices are rising day by day too.

 

So make sure your home is near your workplace, your wife’s office, your children’s’ schools and all the other places you are likely to frequent.

 

Tip No. 2 - SKIP THE FRILLS

 

Remember it is you who are going to pay for all those fancy things in the project – and it is a maintenance headache too. Do you really require all those fancy high-tech “intelligent home” gadgets which will be rendered useless by the frequent electric power failures which prevail in Pune? The only things I find useful are generator back-up and a good gym for exercise.

 

Tip No. 3 - MAKE SURE WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

 

Always buy a ready possession house. As I brought out earlier, things will look vastly different before and after construction. A friend who booked a house before construction started (impressed by the open fields surrounding the project) now finds himself staring into the balcony of the neighbouring building which has sprung up. Also, why take a risk in the prevailing scenario where a project may be inordinately delayed or at worst may never see the light of day?

 

Tip No. 4 – BEWARE OF THE WORD “ANNEXE”

 

In the English Language, the word Annexe means Extension. In Real Estate parlance the word Annexe may have different connotations, especially in Pune. Thus “Aundh Annexe” may be nowhere near Aundh, but in the back of beyond across the river, Kondhwa Annexe may be somewhere way off in Undri or Mohammadwadi, Koregaon Park Annexe may be way beyong Ghorpuri or Mundhwa and Wakad Annexe may be many kilometres away from Wakad in some out-of-the-way place. You’ve got the drift haven’t you – they just cash in on the name of the nearest upcoming or posh locality to hype their project.

 

Tip No. 5 – Try a DRY RUN

 

In fact the best thing to do is to have a Dry Run. Take a house on rent in the locality (or better still in the building complex) in which you intend to buy your home and you will experience first hand the pros and cons of living there. Like I said, don’t get carried away by all that “created” hype. Be patient. Look around. Try out some more localities or ask your friends living there. Rest assured that you will get a good deal. Everything comes to him who waits.

 

 Bye for now. I will share some more lessons I learnt as a novice first time home buyer right here in my blog. Till then tell me if you found my tips useful and remember the ancient saying:  Don’t Marry a Girl Without Seeing the Girl and Don’t Buy a House Without Seeing the House.

 

Happy House Hunting…!!!

 

VIKRAM KARVE

 

To be continued…