Saturday, February 26, 2011

LIFE IN WAKAD


LIVING IN PUNE
FIVE THINGS WANTED IN WAKAD
By
VIKRAM KARVE

At present, there is Zero Quality of Life in Wakad.

Life is difficult in Wakad as even day-to-day requirements for a decent living are not available. And just imagine, Wakad is touted as a future “destination” and it is supposed to be a posh suburb of Pune. It is only when you start living here that reality strikes you.

I live in South Wakad, towards the Mula river, definitely the better part of Wakad, where at least the ambience is good, the view from my clean well lighted airy apartment is excellent with plenty of space all around and the air is fresh and unpolluted and there is still a bit of greenery around. I like the charming rustic ambience of the clean, serene, spiritual and well laid out Wakad village and once the connecting road is ready I will be able to walk down to the highway.

I really pity those who stay in North Wakad, on the other side of the Aundh Hinjewadi Road – it is a filthy, polluted, congested concrete jungle choking with traffic and terrible infrastructure. Construction activity is on full swing, with all the noise, dirt, and grime flying around, and there is a perpetual stench due to strewn garbage and debris, stray dogs abound dangerously and hapless people working on the construction sites defecate in the open fields.

Let’s hope for the best, stop cribbing and offer some constructive suggestions to improve the quality of life in Wakad.  If anyone is listening, here is a small wish list of things urgently required in Wakad in order to alleviate the difficulties of Wakadites and raise the quality of life.

I will list just FIVE THINGS, five very basic requirements of urban life, to start with:

1. FOOD

There is an urgent need of some good value-for-money restaurants, eateries and fast food joints because, today, there is nowhere you can go to eat out in Wakad. Yes, you do not even get a decent Vada Pav or Bhel or Pani Puri or Misal or Dosa or Idli or Utthapam or Chola Bhatura or Pav Bhaji or a pastry or ice cream or a quality hygienic affordable value-for-money meal in Wakad. You can't even get a decent cup of tea or coffee. If you want to have a snack, dosa, idli or an affordable meal, you have to go all the way to Aundh or to Sadanand in Baner.  There are a few expensive hotels and overpriced “dhabas” on the Mumbai – Bangalore highway and on the Hinjewadi Road but what one needs are clean decent family places, like Udipi Restaurants, which are not too much of a burden on the pocket. Let’s also have some good fast food joints, an ice cream parlour, cafes and street food places (pav bhaji, Chinese etc) too. A Khau Galli (planned by PCMC near the waterfront) would be great. There are no sweet shops or halwais out here in Wakad. We require some home delivery restaurants too. Till then the only option is to order a pizza from Domino or a Burger from McDonalds.

2. BANKS and ATMs

There is just one ATM in Wakad - the solitary State Bank of India ATM in the petrol pump premises. Surprisingly there is not a single branch of any well-known bank in Wakad. I wish ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis, SBI and other big nationalised banks open Branches and ATMs soon in Wakad considering the huge customer base.

3. SHOPPING CENTRE and MALLS

Believe it or not!
There is no departmental store, electronic goods store, bookstore, shopping centre or mall in Wakad? There are hardly any shops either. Even to buy the basics you have to go all the way to Baner or Aundh or Chinchwad, which are quite far away. Just imagine the business such commercial enterprises would generate.

4. MULTIPLEX

If you want to see a movie, you go all the way to ESquare more than 12 kilometres away and on holidays, you may not get tickets. Is anyone planning a multiplex for all those entertainment hungry IT Pros living out here in Wakad? Something like ESQUARE - a decent place to spend a day and hang out.

5. LANDLINE TELEPHONES and BROADBAND

Let me tell you something you will probably not believe, incredible but true. You cannot get a BSNL Landline or Broadband in Wakad, the home to IT Professionals.  Just before I relocated, I made a request via internet to BSNL for a landline and broadband connection at my new apartment in Rohan Tarang and promptly got an SMS that their staff would visit my place and give the connection immediately.  I waited for a few days and when no one from BSNL turned up, I enquired with BSNL. I was shocked when BSNL informed me that it was not possible to give me landline telephone or broadband internet connection as there was no optical fibre cable in that area. Well, I don’t live in an uninhabited desolate mofussil area in the back of beyond or deep within remote uncharted forests and jungles – I live in a most modern township just a stone’s throw away from the much hyped “state-of-the-art” Infotech Park at Hinjewadi in Pune, which is being flaunted as the IT Capital of India. And, by the way, most of the persons living out here are IT Pros. That’s “Cart before Horse” infrastructure development for you!

I hope for the best. Maybe this wish list will be realized and the quality of life in Wakad will be elevated to a decent standard. Until then, the best thing to do is to STAY INSIDE and STAY COOL and enjoy a life of solitude and contemplation! Just imagine that you are not living in Pune but in some rural setting and plan your weekly trips to enjoy the delights of Pune City.

Dear Readers, especially fellow Wakadites, please do comment and add on to the list…

PS:
Let me end on a positive note and tell you the best thing about Wakad (in addition to the excellent connectivity, which is a well-known fact).
There is a beautiful garden on the banks of Mula where I spend me evenings on the lush green lawns by the waterfront.
I eagerly await the BRTS – once this comes through there will be plenty of space for pedestrians and cyclists like there is on the BRTS Satara Road where one can enjoy one’s walks unhindered. As and when the BRTS sees the light of the day, one can hope to travel in the comfortable BRTS Buses to Pune city, the traffic congestion will ease too, and driving will become pleasurable.

To be continued ….

VIKRAM KARVE

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. He has written a foodie book Appetite For A Stroll and a book of fiction short stories COCKTAIL being published soon and is busy writing his first novel and with his teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Wakad Pune with his family and pet DobermanX girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve:
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Creative Writing by Vikram Karve: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm




© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

8 comments:

Richa Sonpatki said...

Hi. This is the first time I am seeing an honest opinion about one's own home! I was house hunting for a bit a year back and was told by several real estate agent sharks that Wakad and Hingewadi were going to be THE areas and would boast of world class malls and what not! Considering it is so close to the IT hub in Pune, one would believe them. Infact I still would have, considering the skyrocketing real estate Pune rates! But I guess, with the way these things work, its the prices which go up first and development follows! Thanks for visiting my blog. I would love to hear from you again!

Vikram Waman Karve said...

Hi Richa,
Thanks for your comment.
It is the same story for all real estate in Pune. The low quality of life just does not justify the high prices.
It is best to stay in the city instead of moving out to the suburbs.
I will be regularly visting your blog.
Regards
Vikram

Sharvil said...

Hi, Vikram

I am totally agree with the stuff you wrote about Wakad,Really PCMC is working very slowly.

Actually the east side of the wakad ( Mankar chowk - Y junction & till ambiance hotel is the good place to stay beyond that you will find nothing, this eastern part of the Wakad (you must have visited ) you will find most of your needs i stay @ Sanskriti Apt. i came here in 1Q-2009 till date i have seen much more development in infrastructure and many of the things, BSNL has started giving their Broadband connection from 1Q 2011 ( Thank God !! )
Expansion of roads many nice shops there are total 4 ATMs (3 @mankar Chowk + 1 near ambiance hotel)

Next to Ambiance Hotel there is noting just open land one mall is under construction from Pride-purple group.

ha but still lacks of nice restaurants, food Joints, and hangout places :(

But i like the speed of PCMC works faster than PMC atleast and they have good plans (2016 Metro near Kalewadi fata on PCMC plan you can see this on PCMC web site .. :) )


Regards
Sharvil

Vikram Waman Karve said...

@ Sharvil - as you say things are looking up. Hinjewadi side is developing too. The NPB Food Square is a good place for decent food. Let's hope for the best.

Vikram Waman Karve said...

No BSNL Broadband here in Rohan Tarang as yet...!!!

SHARAD said...

I come and stay in Wakad -Woods on weekends.I agree with some of the points raised by you. Woods ambience and greenery is very pleasant and soothing for someone who has spent a life in Mumbai. But once you step out of Woods it is. Bad. Fountain inn restaurant serves very good food though. Auto rickshaws fleece nay rob those without their own vehicle. The road towards chinchwad from kalewadi phata is a disgrace ,even to a grade 3/4 town.
No malls , no theatres ,and no traffic lights at kalewadi phat a complete the chaos. Pleasant weather and breeze in my apartment is the only reason that brings me to Wakad.

Vikram Waman Karve said...

@ Sharad - Yes, for the societies in North Wakad it is best to remain inside as the outside roads are terrible. South Wakad is better.

Anonymous said...

HI Vikram,
Good to read your Article.we stay in wakad too, recently shifted..and enjoying the stay inside stay cool attitude.I too wish the development happens as fast as it could and we get to enjoy all facilities of modern suburb here.
Well "there is a movie to be released soon called COCKTAIl, is it your script?"
hope to meet you too.It will be great.
Thank you so much

Pooja