Lavasa at night reveals two faces of development

A visit to the Lavasa Lake City project at night presents a disturbing sight, reflecting on the gross neglect of rural areas by the Maharashtra government. 

While the lake city is all lit up and basks in the glow of high-powered lights, seven villages surrounding the proposed township suffer silently in darkness. 

In existence well before the Lavasa project was even conceived, the villages of Dasve-Ramnagar, Bhoini, Mugaon, Koloshi, Gadle, Dhamanhol and Sakri, situated barely 60 km away from Pune city, have been appealing for power for the past 15 years. 

Ironically, while these villages continue to suffer in darkness and the children have to study under kerosene lamps, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) provided power to Lavasa but not to the villages around it. 

High-ranking MSEDCL officials told DNA that Lavasa city was a high tension (HT) line customer of the state power company between January 2008 and August 2010, after which it switched to the Tata Power Company.  

A spot visit to the Dasve-Ramnagar village on Wednesday evening, just two km outside the Lavasa main gate, revealed that this hamlet of 22 homes has never experienced power supply.  

“We are forced to rely on kerosene lamps and kerosene does not come cheap. We get only two litres per head through the ration shop, once every two months at Rs14 per litre. We therefore end up buying kerosene from the black market for Rs40 per litre,” said Shankar Margale (28), a shepherd.  

On Wednesday evening, Shankar’s wife, Radha first lit two kerosene lamps in their tiny hut and then collected a few pieces of wood to light the kitchen fire. While Radha blew desperately into the kitchen fire, her son Akshay struggled to study in the deficient light. 

Elsewhere in the village, anganwadi (kindergarten) teacher Archana Margale kept blowing into the kitchen fire, even as she cooked in the meagre light provided by a kerosene lamp. 

Deputy sarpanch of Dasve Ramnagar village, Bhau Margale told DNA that the first application for power supply from the seven villages was given to the state electricity board in 1995. 

“The then MLA from Mulshi, Kumar Gosavi, had given us a recommendation letter, yet nothing happened. It is only in the last six months, after we took a letter from NCP leader Supriya Sule that the MSEDCL began to take our case seriously,” he said. 

According to Margale, a MSEDCL team from the Mulshi office conducted a survey of the seven villages surrounding the Lavasa city and submitted an estimate of Rs3.42 crore to electrify all villages. 

In the neighbouring Dhamanhol village, sarpanch Shankar Shedge said a delegation of villagers has been visiting the MSEDCL Pune circle office at Rasta Peth every week to follow up with their case.  

“The lack of electricity in our villages hurts us very much. Our children cannot study and we cannot implement any water supply scheme, as we cannot run pumps easily. Ever since I became a sarpanch three years ago, I have been pursuing this case seriously,” he said.  

When contacted, MSEDCL’s superintending engineer DA Koli told DNA that his team had conducted a comprehensive survey of the seven villages recently and a report was expected to be sent to the MSEDCL’s Mumbai headquarters in 15 days. 

“Approximately Rs3.42 crore will be needed to electrify the seven villages. We hope to start the work in two months after the expenditure is sanctioned by the government,” Koli said. 

Lavasa Corporation declined to give details of power supply during 2002-2008 stating that the company was busy with issues relating to the ministry of environment and forests.