Short Fiction Story – Dead End

DEAD END
Short Fiction Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

There is a saying in Urdu:

 Har qatl di e jar zan zar zameen

(The motive for every murder is because of woman, money or land)

Most crimes occur because of Zan (love or passion involving a woman) or Zar (greed for money). 

This is a story where Zameen (land) is a motive for a crime.

I wrote this short story 24 years ago – sometime in the year 1993. 

One evening when I had gone on a long evening walk – I happened to witness a brutal land acquisition.

The might of the “powers-that-be” was on full display against the hapless landowners – who were being evicted from their land.

The landowners who were being evicted were protesting because the promised compensation had not been paid to them.

The hapless landowners feared that once they lost their land – they would have to make rounds of various government offices for compensation – and they would have to pay bribes to get their due.

A few years later – someone told me – that the land had been encroached upon – so the whole land acquisition exercise had gone waste – and – the biggest losers were the erstwhile landowners who had lost their land for nothing.

The whole scene and situation moved me – and – I wrote a fiction short story called DEAD END.

At that point of time – this story – DEAD END – was highly appreciated.  

Huge land acquisitions take place for building projects and institutions.

In Cities – Land is acquired for road-widening – or for building infrastructure – and many small homeowners lose their gardens – and – in some cases – even houses are demolished – and – people are displaced from their land/homes and relocated.

I remember an old lady telling me that she lost her carefully tended garden in road-widening.

What irked the old lady was that the footpath – which was built on the land acquired from her – by destroying her garden – this very footpath – had been illegally encroached upon – and – “tapri” stalls (shanties) had sprung up on the acquired land which was once her beautiful garden.

I have seen displaced persons running around for their promised compensation many years after their land had been acquired.

It is all very fine to talk of the “macro” picture of infrastructure development.

But – does anyone look at it from the perspective of the displaced landowners...?

Only the person whose land is forcibly acquired knows the pain of losing his land or home. 

For you – everything is fine – until your own land is forcibly acquired – or your house demolished – all in the name of “development”.

You even hear stories – maybe apocryphal – of land being forcibly acquired from farmers ostensibly for public purposes – and then – the acquired land is “de-reserved” – and sold off to builders – who make a huge profit by building residential and commercial projects.

Land can become a big bone of contention and is the root of crime and corruption (the “Zameen” in crime triad “Zan Zar Zameen”).

Though I wrote this story 24 years ago in 1993 – I think this fiction story DEAD END is quite relevant even today. 

Do tell me if you like the story. 

DEAD END – Short Fiction Story by VIKRAM KARVE 

Manjunath was a contented man.

 

He was the proud owner of a coconut grove – more than a hundred trees – located on the most picturesque stretch of the western coast – skirting the Arabian Sea. 

His land was fertile and the yield was excellent.

 

Every morning – along with his wife and two sons – Manjunath would cast his fishing nets into the gentle waters of Baicol Bay – and in the evening – when he pulled in his nets with the receding tide – the catch would be adequate – if not substantial.

He would also tend to his coconut grove and the various fruit bearing trees and vegetable shrubs he had planted on his land.

 

I loved Baicol Bay. 

It was a most beautiful and pristine place by the sea.

Sunset – on the western coast – was a special event.

 

So every evening – I went for a jog on the soft unspoilt beach – and after a swim in the crystal-clear waters – I relaxed on the sands – beholding the fascinating, yet soothing, spectacle – of the mighty orange sun being devoured under the horizon of the sea.

 

As darkness enveloped – Manjunath would gently appear by my side with a tender coconut in hand.

 

At that moment, there was nothing more refreshing than sweet coconut water.

 

The year was 1980

I was a fresh, young and idealistic Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer – on my first posting – as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of this lovely coastal district.

 

The air was fresh and unpolluted – and the weather was temperate. 

There was no railway line – no industries – and no noise. 

The district headquarters was a one-street town. 

Everybody knew everybody – the people were peace-loving – and in the prevailing climate of contentment, it was no surprise that the crime-rate was almost zero.

 

One day, my boss, the Superintendent of Police (SP) took me to an important meeting in the District Collector’s office.

 

As I heard the words of the Collector – I experienced a deep sense of distress. 

A notification had been issued and a mammoth Steel Plant had been sanctioned in the Baicol Bay area. 

Land Acquisition was the immediate top priority. 

The police were to be present to see that the land acquisition process was smooth and to ensure there was no law and order problem.

 

“But why can’t they locate the Steel Plant somewhere else...? This lovely place will be ruined. And where will the people go...?” I protested.

 

At first – the Collector appeared dumbstruck by my interruption. 

Then he glowered at me with a fierce and threatening stare. 

I avoided his gaze and looked around the room. 

Everyone was looking at me in a curious manner. 

My boss – the SP – was desperately gesturing to me to keep quiet.

 

“I wonder whose side you are on...?” the Collector snapped angrily, still giving me an intimidating glare.

 

“Don’t worry, Sir...” the SP spoke, addressing the Collector, “There will be no problems. The people here are a docile lot. Everything shall proceed smoothly.”

 

When we were driving back to our office – the SP said to me: 

“Joshi – you better tame your tongue and watch what you say – especially in front of others.”

 

“Sir, you please tell me. Is it not gross injustice...? We pay them a pittance for their fertile land. And then we evict them from their habitat, and destroy the beauty of this place, just because someone decides to set up a set up a Steel Plant here.”

 

“My dear Joshi – it is in the national interest. Why don’t you try and understand. Everyone who is displaced shall be properly rehabilitated with a job and a house – and they will also get a good compensation for their land.”

 

“Come on, Sir...” I argued, “You know where we are going to relocate them. The rehabilitation camp is more than twenty kilometres away from the sea front. And we are putting them into small overcrowded multi-storeyed tenements, which are at complete variance from their ethos. These people are used to open spaces, fresh air, and most important – the waterfront, the sea.”

 

“That’s enough, Joshi...” the SP said angrily, “Your job is to carry out my orders. I want you to take personal charge of this land acquisition operation. The task must be completed smoothly and on schedule. Is that clear...?”

 

“Yes, sir...” I replied meekly.

 

That evening I held a meeting with the affected villagers. 

Manjunath was sitting in the first row, right in front of me. 

I spoke of patriotism – I exhorted them to sacrifice their land for the “national cause” – I told them of the prosperity the Steel Plant would bring into their lives.

 

To my utter surprise – there was no resistance to the land acquisition. 

Everyone seemed convinced – I think because they were simple people who believed every word I said.

But to my own self – my own words sounded insincere – and I felt acutely uncomfortable.

 

And so – the land acquisition operation began.

 

An awe-struck Manjunath saw the might of the government on display. 

Manjunath watched with tears in his eyes as huge bulldozers destroyed his beloved coconut grove.

He also felt intimidated by the columns of police standing by to ensure that the land acquisition process was done smoothly.

And so – Manjunath lost his land – and was displaced from his home.

But – in lieu of his land – and since he was a displaced person – Manjunath had been promised a job at the Steel Plant which was going to come up on his land.

 

A few months later Manjunath stood before the employment officer. 

The employment officer was in a foul mood. 

“These illiterate buggers get jobs on a platter while my matriculate brother-in-law rots unemployed in city...” he complained, “I had promised my wife that I would wrangle at least a Class 4 unskilled labourer, domestic attendant or peon’s job for him out here.”

 

“Hold your tongue...” the rehabilitation officer said angrily, “These so-called ‘illiterate buggers’ – as you call them – they were landowners, displaced from their own land. They are entitled a job in lieu of their land acquired for this project.”

 

“Okay, okay. Don’t get hot...” the employment officer said to the rehabilitation officer. 

Then – the employment officer looked at Manjunath – and curtly asked him: 

“Do you possess any special skills...?”

 

Manjunath could not comprehend – so he just stood silent.

 

In an exasperated manner – the employment officer snapped at Manjunath: 

“Listen. We haven’t got all day. Tell me. What can you do...?”

 

“Coconuts...” Manjunath answered.

 

“Coconuts...?”

 

“Yes, Sir. Coconuts.”

 

“What else...?”

 

“Fish.”

 

“Fish and Coconuts, eh! You will see plenty of them...” the employment officer said. 

He wrote the word ‘cook’ beside Manjunath’s name in the register.

 

And so – in one stroke – Manjunath was transformed from a land-owner into a cook.

First – Manjunath worked as a cook in the ramshackle canteen for construction workers.

And later – as a cook in the huge industrial canteen of the Steel Plant.

 

But Manjunath was lucky. 

At least he had become a cook. 

Most others became Unskilled Labourers because the skills they possessed, like farming and fishing, were not relevant as far as the Steel Plant was concerned.

 

And so almost all the “skilled” workers – the tradesmen, all the welders, fitters, machinists, electricians etc – they all came from outside, from faraway places – most of the workforce of the steel plant came from the cities and the urban areas. 

And gradually – the complexion of the place began to change.

 

Soon, I stopped going for my daily evening jog to Baicol beach.

Now the whole place was littered with debris from the construction work and the air was no longer pure, but polluted by fumes and dust.

It was no longer quiet and calm, but the noise from the ongoing construction work was unbearable.

 

And, of course, now there would be no Manjunath waiting for me with a tender coconut in hand.

 

So when my transfer came – I felt relieved and happy.

I no longer loved the place – and – more so – I could not bear the pain of witnessing the beginning of the systematic metamorphosis of a beautiful natural paradise into a huge monster of concrete and steel.

Somehow I never had the opportunity to visit that place for many years.

 

Then – after 15 long years – I had to go there as a DIG (Deputy Inspector General).

The place had changed beyond recognition. 

The gigantic steel plant – the railway line – the new port – the industries – the ‘fruits’ of liberalization – and the signs of prosperity – modern buildings adorned by adjoining slums – filth and polluted air – all types of vehicles clogging the roads – restaurants and bars – the noise – and even most of the people looked alien.

 

As we drove down to the police headquarters, the SP said to me: 

“It’s not the same place when you were here, Sir.”

 

“The crime-rate was zero then...” I said. “What has gone wrong?”

 

“There are two types of people now, Sir – the liberalised Indian and the marginalised Indian.”

 

“And us...!!!”

 

“And us...!!!” he laughed, “yes, sir – and us – trying to sort the whole thing out.”

 

I was head of the crime branch at the state police headquarters and I had been sent down to investigate a series of bizarre murders. 

A few bigwigs were waylaid – they had their heads chopped off – and their headless bodies were dumped outside their houses. 

It had created such a scare that my boss had rushed me down.

 

The car stopped. 

I recognized the place at once.

 

“The common thread, Sir...” the SP said, “All the victims lived in this luxury residential enclave.”

 

“I knew this place...” I said, feeling a tinge of nostalgia, “There used to be a coconut grove here. This place was acquired for the steel plant. But now I see that it is just outside the perimeter wall. I wonder why they excluded this area.”

 

“Must be the environment stipulations, Sir...” the SP mumbled, “the 200 meter zone or something. They must have de-notified it.”

 

“De-notified it...? Don’t give me bullshit...!!!” I shouted, “How the hell has this posh residential complex come up here? And if the government did not want the land for the steel plant – then why was this excess acquired land not returned back to the original owners...?”

         

“Sir – this land which was sold by the acre in your time – 15 years ago – now it is priced per square foot.”

 

“The fruits of progress – is it...?” I snapped.

 

I could see that the SP was getting confused by my unexpected line of investigation – and he was getting a bit scared too – for I was a DIG. 

So I decided to put him at ease.

 

“Tell me, Pandey...” I said patronizingly, “What were you before joining the IPS...?”

 

“An Engineer, Sir. From IIT, Delhi...” he said.

 

This was no surprise.

Engineers – even Doctors – were joining IAS and IPS nowadays. 

I looked at the SP – and I said: 

“Let me explain in a way you will understand.”

 

Pandey was looking at me intently.

 

I paused – and I asked him: 

“Do you know the definition of the word ‘system’...?”

 

“Yes, Sir...” he answered.

 

“Every ‘system’ has a natural rhythm...” I said, “okay – take this place – for example. All the people here in this system – farmers, fishermen, everyone – they all had a natural rhythm of life which perfectly matched the rhythm of this place. And – there was harmony. Then suddenly – we disturb the system. We drastically change the rhythm of the place. We create a mismatch. And when the people cannot cope up – we call them ‘marginalised Indians’ – as you put it.”

 

Pandey looked thoroughly confused – so I avoided further rhetoric – and I came straight to the point: “You are looking for a motive – aren’t you, Pandey...?”

 

“Yes, Sir...” he said.

 

“Okay – you consider this. You own some fertile land. We forcibly acquire it – mouthing platitudes like ‘national interest’, ‘patriotism’ etc. Then – we sit on your land for 15 long years – while you are reduced from an owner to a labourer. And then – one fine day – you find that your beloved land has been grabbed by some land-sharks from the city. What would you do...?”

 

The SP did not reply.

 

“Do one thing, Pandey...” I said, “There is a man called Manjunath. He probably works as a cook in the Steel Plant canteen. Bring him to me. He may have some clue and maybe he will give us a lead.”

 

In my mind’s eye – I was thinking of ways of how to get Manjunath off the hook.

 

An hour later – the SP came rushing into the police headquarters. 

The SP looked dazed – as if he had been pole-axed. 

“The guy went crazy...” the SP stammered, “Sir, when the police party approached him, he was chopping coconuts with a sharp sickle. Suddenly he slashed his own neck. He died on the way to hospital. There is blood everywhere.”

 

In the morgue, staring sadly at Manjunath’s dead body, the SP commented: 

“Look at the expression on his face, Sir. He looks so content.”

“Yes...” I said, “He has reached the DEAD END...”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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Disclaimer:

1. This story is a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

This fiction short story DEAD END was written by me Vikram Karve more than 24 years ago, in the year 1993.

Later, I posted this story online on my creative writing blogs a number of times, including in this blog at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/12/dead-end-my-favourite-short-stories.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/01/dead-end-short-fiction-story.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/10/zameen-short-fiction-story-dead-end.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/02/land-acquisition-story-dead-end.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/07/dead-end-story.html etc

Buying a Home : The Pollution Factor

BUYING A HOUSE IN PUNE - Part 18

THE POLLUTION FACTOR

Musings of a Clueless Novice Self-Styled Property Guru Part 18 

Continued from

http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/12/buying-house-in-pune.html

POLLUTION AND YOUR HOME

Are You Buying a Polluted House

Home Buying Tips from a Clueless Novice Self-Styled Property Guru Part 18

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Disclaimer: 

I am a simple end-user novice and not an expert in Real Estate and these are my personal views. Please take my views with a pinch of salt and take your own views into consideration and do your own due diligence before you make any property purchase decisions.

There are many factors you consider while buying a house, in particular when selecting the location of your home.

I am sure you take into account various exoteric aspects like:

1. Class and Type of Locality (Status Value, Snob Appeal and Standard of Living Factors)

2. Amenities, Facilities and Social Infrastructure (Quality of Life Factors)

3. Connectivity and Proximity to your Workplace, Children’s Schools, Marketplace, Closeness to Residences of Relatives and Friends, Public Transport and Commuting Time (Convenience Factors)

4. Financial Factors like Price, Affordability and Investment Merit (appreciation and rental value)

5. Reputation of the Builder and Developer and Quality of Construction (Reliability Factors)

6. Architectural and Design Facets (Aesthetic Factors)

In addition to various exoteric factors, you may also consider some esoteric concepts like Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui.

But tell me, do you think of POLLUTION when you buy a house?

Health is more important than Wealth, and pollution can affect your health. 

You can earn back lost money, but health once lost is lost forever. 

So while financial aspects like property rate and appreciation prospects are important, you must factor in the pollution aspect as well while making property buying decisions, especially if you are an end-user and from the long term perspective.

TYPES OF POLLUTION

There are 9 types of Pollution you must consider while buying a home:

1. AIR POLLUTION

2. WATER POLLUTION

3. SOIL or LAND POLLUTION

4. NOISE POLLUTION

5. ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION or ELECTRO-POLLUTION

6. THERMAL or HEAT POLLUTION

7. LIGHT POLLUTION

8. OLFACTORY POLLUTION

9. VISUAL POLLUTION

In a nutshell, let us see the sources and effects of each of the above types of Pollution relevant to the context of residential property.

1. AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution can be in the form of particulate matter such as dust or in the form ofgases and vapours.

In cities, Vehicle Exhaust is the major cause of air pollution. With ever-increasing traffic, Diesel, Petrol and Gas Fumes are densely prevalent in urban areas.

Dust and Debris from ongoing construction work is a major source of air pollution especially in the newly developing suburbs of a city where extensive new construction, redevelopment or infrastructure building activity is in progress.

Air Pollutant Gases and Vapours may be present near Industrial Areas, Manufacturing Units, Distilleries, Chemical Factories, Steel Plants and Oil Refineries and even near places like crematoriums, brick kilns, Garbage Bins and Rubbish Dumps, Solid Waste Processing Units etc where items are burnt.

Air Pollution can seriously affect health, especially in children, causing and exacerbating various ailments, especially lung diseases and asthma.

2. WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution involves contaminated water, whether from chemical, particulate or bacterial matter that degrades water quality and purity.

When buying a house you must check up the source of water supply.

Is properly treated water from the municipal water treatment plant being supplied to the building or is it being sourced from bore-wells or some other place.

In Pune, there have been cases where possession of houses has been given without (or before) the connection of safe and treated potable water from the municipality.

In cases where the water is sourced from local or underground water bodies, soil pollution, infectious organisms and organic material decay may cause water pollution.

Water Pollution can also be caused by defects in plumbing (where sewage or contaminated water seeps into potable water lines).

The effects of water pollution on your health can be quite severe and cause diseases like jaundice.

3. SOIL or LAND POLLUTION

Soil Pollution sources include Garbage Dumps, Hazardous Waste, Sewage Spills, Pesticides and Dumping during construction activity.

Soil Pollution degrades hygiene and exacerbates other types of pollution including air, water and olfactory pollution.

4. NOISE POLLUTION

In Urban India, Noise Pollution is one of the most serious forms of pollution which is increasing at an alarming rate.

Sources of Noise Pollution include Road Traffic Noise, Air Traffic, Rail Traffic, Industrial Noise and irritating Noise created due to ongoing Construction Work.

In India, one of the main sources of Noise Pollution is Neighbourhood Noise.

Neighbourhood Noise can be due to proximity of Religious Places which may use loudspeakers for Devotional Music or Call for Prayers or during celebrations and festivities.

Noise Pollution due to Community Noise increases during the festivals, celebrations and marriages due to cracker bursting and loud music.

Marriage Halls, Recreation Grounds, Restaurants, Eateries, Liquor Shops, Bars and Discos, Night Life Entertainment Places, Cinema Halls, Educational Institutions like Schools and Colleges and Commercial Places are sources of Neighbourhood Noise too.

Living in a “Noisy Neighbourhood” can be a continuous irritant and annoyance which can affect your mood and take a toll on your health.

If your house is near a road, airport or railway line, be prepared for perpetual noise from various annoying sounds like honking of horns, flying aircraft, passage of trains and plying of vehicles.

If your house is near or above a parking lot or a busy road intersection, be prepared for unremitting house pollution.

In India, vehicular traffic is a big source of noise pollution.

Are you prepared to live in a noisy neighbourhood?

Or do you desire to live in a calm and quiet place?

You must consider both present and future Noise Pollution while selecting your home.

Today the place may seem quiet, but as the area gets developed the noise level may increase tremendously.

Today’s quiet neighbourhood may turn into a place of chaotic cacophony.

In most cities in India, noise pollution levels in residential areas is way above the safe norm due to poor urban planning and in some areas the noise may reach hazardous levels.

Noise pollution affects both health and behaviour – noise pollution affects you physically and mentally and causes you stress and hypertension.

Noise Pollution can damage psychological health, cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. Besides affecting your health and disturbing your peace of mind, Noise Pollution can seriously degrade your lifestyle.

5. ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION or ELECTRO-POLLUTION

Electromagnetic Pollution or Electropollution is a relatively new form of pollution.

Electropollution occurs due to Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) from various sources like Mobile Cell Phone Towers, Electricity (HT) Power Lines, Radar, Microwave and Various Communication Lines and Transmission Antennas that are proliferating in urban areas which create Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) around your house.

Ongoing studies indicate that Electropollution may be hazardous to health in many ways.

In the past, most transmission antennas were located outside the city limits far away from human habitation, but nowadays with the expansion of cities and due to modern wireless communication needs like mobile phones, internet and wi-fi we live in an increasingly “wired world” and have transmitters all around us.

The least you can do when you buy a house is to look around and see whether there are any Mobile Phone Transmission Towers, Transmitting Antennas or HT Power Pylons and Electricity Transmission Lines nearby.

6. THERMAL or HEAT POLLUTION

Thermal pollution is excess heat that creates undesirable effects over long periods of time. Concrete Jungles due to Urban Sprawl is a major cause of Thermal Pollution in cities. It is also caused by Heat Emitting Devices like Airconditioners, Gensets, Electrical and Electronic Devices, Power and Refrigeration Plants and Air Pollution Particulates that trap heat and Deforestation.

7. LIGHT POLLUTION

Light pollution is garish over-illumination of an area that is considered obtrusive.

Sources of Light Pollution include illuminated signs and advertisement hoardings, Malls, Mulitplexes and Night Life Entertainment Places.

At night, stand in a place and look up at the sky. If you cannot see the stars in the sky clearly, it is indicative of light pollution.

In residential areas, light pollution can degrade your quality of life and affect your sleep.

8. OLFACTORY POLLUTION

Olfactory Pollution (Foul Smell, Unpleasant Odour, Disgusting Stench and Horrible Stink) can seriously affect your quality of life.

Smell the air in your house.

Go to your balcony and breathe in the air.

Does it smell pristine and pure?

There are many sources of odious and unpleasant smells like Disgusting Stench from Sewage Lines and Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), Nauseous Smell from Vapours due to Diesel and Gas Fumes from Petrol Pumps, Vehicles and Gensets, Toxic Smelling Industrial Odours, Perpetual Stench from Garbage Bins, Waste Processing Units and Rubbish Dumps, Repulsive Stink from Gutters and Drains, Putrid Vapours from Crematoriums and Burning Debris, Foul Odours from nearby vegetable, meat and fish markets etc

Here too you must consider the futuristic situation too and see what is coming up around the property in the future as the area develops.

9. VISUAL POLLUTION

Visual Pollution includes various “eyesores” and undesirable, unattractive views which spoil the landscape.

Visual Pollution affects the aesthetic value of a place and degrades the quality of life in certain areas.

In the premium high-end segment where home buyers pay for aesthetics, visual pollution can impact property values.  

Sources of visual pollution include anything obstructing or spoiling the view from your house like neighbouring constructions and buildings, debris, neglected and incomplete structures and abandoned buildings, advertisement hoardings, power lines and mobile towers, filthy environs and repelling surrounding areas and any such other “eyesores”.

While visual pollution may not have immediate health or environmental effects, it can affect your mood due the constant eyesores around you. After all, everyone wants a “room with a view”.

BUY RATHER THAN BOOK - The Pollution Point of View Home Buying Mantra

From the pollution point of view it is always better to buy a ready-to-move-in house in a fully completed project in a built-up locality where all buildings and infrastructure are completed and ready.

Let me exemplify the above point and also tell you a bit about the various types of pollution with the help of a apocryphal hypothetical illustrative example.

“A” booked a house in a pre-launch scheme, even before construction had started.

He did this because he thought was getting the property at a lower rate.

Of course, he suffered time and cost overruns due to execution delays.

That is why they say that if you are an end-user who intends living in the house it is always better to “buy” rather than “book”.

(Booking a house in pre-launch or under-construction stage may be a good idea if you are an investor looking only for appreciation. You are never going to live in the house and you may even sell it off before it is completed if you get the profit you desire. So you won’t be bothered with factors like Pollution unless this affects the property price or rental value)

When “A” booked the house the site was pristine tranquil quiet unpolluted place with pure air and a beautiful view and verdant cultivated fields all around. It was a perfect retirement paradise not far away and quite well connected to the city.

The project was delayed due to execution delays.

Since his retirement date was fast approaching, “A” was desperate to move into his house so he took possession and moved into his new home the moment his flat was ready (luckily his flat was in the first building of the project).

He moved into his flat while construction work continued full swing in the neighbouring buildings of the project due to which he suffered air pollution due the dust and debris and noise pollution due the noisy construction machinery. 

(“A” suffered asthmatic attacks and was driven crazy by the constant irritating noise which caused him mood swings).

The municipal water line had not yet been connected (since the project was not fully complete) so water was temporarily sourced from a borewell due to which “A” was subjected to water pollution and soil pollution. 

(“A” got a bout of jaundice due to this and his health was affected quite badly for a few months)

A Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was soon commissioned under his flat and poor “A” was engulfed in the foul smelling stink 24/7 (Olfactory Pollution) 

(“A” felt claustrophobic as he had to keep his windows closed because of this terrible stink – despite this the foul odour from the STP was all pervading)

In due course, a mobile antenna tower cropped up in the adjacent plot opposite his balcony. “A” was thus subjected to Electropollution and also to Visual Pollution since the tower was an eyesore which spoilt the beautiful view.

Later, the place would turn into a dense concrete jungle (thermal pollution).

Soon, the place would be surrounded by commercial places, entertainment joints, hotels, lounge bars, restaurants and busy roads choked with traffic (further Noise Pollution, Air Pollution, Olfactory Pollution, Visual Pollution and Light Pollution)

“A” never imagined that his “dream house” which he had contemplated as a tranquil pristine “retirement paradise” home would turn out to be such a polluted house. He had never imagined that the all-pervading pollution would affect his health and lifestyle.

So, Dear Reader, if you are an end-user who intends to live in the house you want to buy, do consider the Pollution Factor along with all the other aspects. 

Do take a futuristic view of pollution, and remember, at least from the pollution point of view, it is better to buy a fully completed house in a well developed locality rather than book at the pre-launch or under-construction stage.

HAPPY HOUSE HUNTING

VIKRAM KARVE

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Repost of my article in Home Buying Series written in the year 2011 and posted online a number of times including at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/01/buying-home-pollution-factor.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/12/buying-house-in-pune.html