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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Miserable Life in Megapolis

"Nalayak (नालायक)" Builder or Capable Builder?:


Nalini & Swapnil, Sangria Towers, Megapolis Hinjewadi Phase 3
Nalini & Swapnil, Sangria Towers, Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune

First, let me confess. I made a mistake. I failed to guess the capabilities of Kumar Properties (www.kumarworld.com). I assumed that more than 40 years experience in construction industry has made Kumar Properties capable to develop 150 acre Megapolis Hinjewadi Phase 3 (www.megapolis.co.in).

I know Mr. Manish Jain of Kumar Properties. He is a good builder. No doubt about it. But, when you develop 150 acre township like Megapolis for the IT professionals in Hinjewadi, being a good builder - is not enough. You need to be capable. Being a good builder is enough qualification to launch the project like Megapolis. But to build and give possession you need to be a competent builder.

I have lot of respect for Mr. Manish Jain. The third generation builder was my client when I was in advertising. In those days, after the division of family business, I have seen how Mr. Manish has tried to transform the family owned shop 'Kumar Builders' into - a professionally managed company "Kumar Properties".

When you have a partner like Mr. Avinash Bhosale, it's possible to acquire a plot from MIDC. When you have a 150 acre plot and enough finance it's easy to appoint architects like RSP & Belt Collins of Singapore. But it doesn't mean that, Mr. Manish Jain, you can cancel the construction contract of MAN Infraprojects, build the towers own your own, offer amateurish & experimental construction quality and delay possession by more than one & half year.

A home buyer like Ms. Nalini & Mr. Swapnil, appreciate your concept. They are proud of their home in Sangria Towers. But at the same time, they are not going to accept inferior quality, poor service and lack of basic infrastructure.

Nalini & Swapnil work in software support service industry in Hinjewadi. Their expectations are defined by their work experience. From Megapolis - Nalini & Swapnil expect the same quality of service - they themselves offer to their clients.

When they don't get the expected quality of service from Megapolis, certainly, Nalini & Swapnil are going to question your competence, Mr. Manish Jain. They are not asking whether Kumar Properties is a good builder. Nalini & Swapnil are asking - Is Kumar Properties competent to develop Megapolis?

In fact, not only Nalini & Swapnil, all home buyers in Sangria Towers, Sparklet Megapolis Smart Homes 1, Sunway Megapolis Smart Homes 2 & Splendour Megapolis Smart Homes 3 are asking the same question - Is Kumar Properties a competent builder?

After tea with Nalini & Swapnil at Sangria Towers, I asked the same question to Mr. Hemant Kulkarni, Vice President, Pegasus Properties.

What is your job, Mr. Hemantsaheb? Only collecting booking amount from the property buyers or what? Aren't you responsible to deliver and render service to those who pay you?

Mr. Hemant, you call yourself 'Property Guru'. Yes, you have good knowledge & experience. But, what about the ability to deliver? Are you, Pegasus Properties - joint venture of Kumar Properties & Avinash Bhosale Group - competent builders & developers?

You know what? Mr. Hemant Kulkarni refused to talk!

"Sometimes, you know, one doesn't perform well. It doesn't mean that he is nalayak," I told Nalini & Swapnil.

"Don't defend Kumar Properties! We are suffering for many months," Nalini said.

"Ravi is trying convince that he is innocent! He wants to say that he hasn't made any mistake by recommending Megapolis," Swapnil said.

"No. I am not defending anyone. I have confidence in Manish Jain & his team," I said.

On this, Nalini & Swapnil said that they are also not complaining.

By sharing their experiences & problems with me, they are trying to help Kumar Properties correct their mistakes.

I am sure, Mr. Manish Jain will not only correct the mistakes but compensate. And prove that Kumar Properties is competent enough to develop more than 100 acre township like Megapolis.


View Sangria Towers Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune 411 057 in a larger map

Sexy Sangria's Dirty Underware:


Sexy Sangria, Megapoli, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune
Sexy Sangria, Megapoli, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune
Pathetic condition of the wooden flooring in Nalini & Swapnil's bedroom at Sangria, Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune - 1
Pathetic condition of the wooden flooring in Nalini & Swapnil's bedroom at Sangria, Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune - 1

Last Friday, Swapnil invited me for a cup of tea at his home in Sangria Towers. Come & have a look at the pathetic condition of our flat, Swapnil said.

When I visited their flat in the B Tower of Sangria, Swapnil took me to his bedroom to inspect the wooden flooring. The wooden flooring between the bed and attached toilet was completely removed and underneath white foam was lying exposed.

Since they took possession and shifted in March 2012, Nalini & Swapnil are struggling to get this wooden flooring repaired or replaced.

That day, I was looking at the wooden flooring in their bedroom, but in the last 6 - 7 months wooden flooring in their entire flat has come out. Wooden flooring in their living cum dining. Wooden flooring in their second bedroom. Only the flooring of kitchen didn't give any problem. Why? Because kitchen has vitrified tiles!

Nalini & Swapnil are told that the water seepage is the reason for the peeling of the wooden flooring. The underneath foam absorbs the water and because of that pasted wooden tiles are displaced.

Nalini & Swapnil believe that peeling of wooden flooring is the proof of defective plumbing of the entire building. Because not only the wooden flooring but water seepage has also damaged their the walls. There was fungus on these walls for many months. Till the walls were scrubbed and repainted. Pointing at the newly painted wall, Swapnil said.

"I don't know what is the reason for water seepage. Defective plumbing. Poor waterproofing. Limitations of construction technology. Poor workmanship. Or What," Swapnil said and added that - "but, it has made my life miserable."

"Ravi, you call Sangria 'Sexy'. And yes, from outside Sangria looks attractive. But look - how pathetic it is from inside," Swapnil said.

'Anpadh', 'Ganwaar', 'Nalayak' Maintenance Team at Sangria Towers:




"Sometimes, I wonder who is responsible for our miserable life. Builder or M. P.?," Swapnil said.

"MP - Member of Parliament?," I asked.

"Maintenance People! I call them M P because of the similarity. 'Anpadh', 'Ganwaar', 'Nalayak' is the exact description of Maintenance People at Sangria," Swapnil said.

Most of the time Maintenance People are not available. If M P are available, they don't come and repair. If they come and repair, they don't work properly. Just pretend to work. Do something haphazardly. Never try to go to the root of the problem.

Above all, these Maintenance People blame you for each and every problem! You must have forgotten to close the tap, was their instant reaction when I complained about the water in my living room.

It's nothing but abusing & harassing the home buyers. I fail to understand how come a builder like Kumar Properties - who is so many years in this industry - appoint such people! It's simple failure of management.

Real trouble is - you don't have an option but to deal with these irresponsible people. The executives in the marketing office of Megapolis don't listen. They simply shrug the responsibility.

Frustrated, Swapnil once called the corporate office of Kumar Properties. Even the senior executive at the corporate office of Kumar Properties didn't try to solve the 'root cause' of the problem. This is irresponsible management. Incompetence of the builder. Swapnil said.

When disgusted Swapnil realized that Kumar Properties is not capable to resolve the root cause of water seepage, he came up with a compromise. Why don't you remove the wooden flooring and fit vitrified tiles? Vitrified tiles will not come out even if there is water seepage!

On this - the maintenance people alleged Swapnil of exploitation! You are complaining so much about wooden flooring only because you want free replacement tiles in your flat, the maintenance people said.

That day, I realized that these M P are not only 'Anpadh' & 'Ganwaar', but are 'Nalayak' too, Swapnil said.

Disappointed, Disgusted & Dissatisfied Home Buyers at Sangria Towers:




In the last 6 - 7 months of miserable life at Sangria Towers, Nalini & Swapnil had only one good day. Only because the venue of celebration was not their flat but the terrace. It was Karva Chauth!

"Karva Chauth - means it was not a good day but a good night, right? Let us stop talking about days and start talking about your nights at Sangria!," I said.

"Ravi, I love the concept of Sangria. It's very well planned. For someone like me who values family life more than the career or money, Sangria is the second best place to live in Pune," Swapnil said.

"Which is the first one?," I asked.

"Bungalow! But this 2 BHK Flat at Sangria is not a bad compromise. In fact, its not a compromise at all. Its the only option we may ever afford in our life," Swapnil said and told me how they have decided to live here forever. To make it possible, both of them have decided not to change their current jobs. Or accept new job only if it is in Hinjewadi. Swapnil ended the description of his career & life plan with - "Ravi, did you get how much we love our home at Sangria?"

"We say all this even after living a miserable life in the last 6 - 7 months," Nalini said and described how practically every weekend they waited for the maintenance people. How practically all Saturday & Sunday evenings she wasted in cleaning floors after the repairs. How frequently they have taken leave from their office for the repairs. And sad thing is, Nalini said, if Kumar properties continue to offer same standard of service, possibly, this miserable life will never end.

If Kumar properties don't resolve the water seepage issue, possibly, Swapnil said, we will not be able to furnish our home. I will not be able to buy a sofa in the living. I may not be able to keep my clothes in the wardrobe. I may not be able to paint my home. I may not be able to invite my relatives & friends. I may spend the rest of my miserable life in a damp walls and on the damaged floors. Swapnil said.

When stalls at the marketing office of Megapolis are ready for months, I fail to understand, Swapnil said, why Kumar Properties is not providing essential shopping?

Doesn't Kumar Properties understand that we are living in a remote 3rd phase of Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park?

Why doesn't Kumar Properties provide some transport facility? You know? Auto demands 70 rupees for the distance of 2 kilometers - from Sangria to TechMahindra. And 250 rupees to Wakad Flyover.

Now, more than 75 families are living in B & C Towers of Sangria, but Kumar Properties can not take a decision about piped gas!

What's going on here? Are we punished for booking a flat in Megapolis? Or Kumar Properties is not fit for developing 150 acre township where the builder is supposed to provide all infrastructure?

Before giving away land, Nalini & Swapnil want to know whether MIDC checked Kumar Properties' capabilities of developing a township for IT Professionals working in it's SEZ?

I didn't have an answer. I only told them that they are not alone. Residents of Blue Ridge Hinjewadi and Nanded City Pune are also asking the same question. Is my builder capable to develop a big township?

Contact Swapnil:


9970374888 / swaphirapurkar@gmail.com

Updates:


1) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2012

Sleepless in Sangria

Related Stories:


1) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Booking a flat means putting your life in danger

2) MONDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2012

Tragic Heroes

3) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012

There is something hypnotizing about Blue Ridge Hinjewadi!

4) MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012

Invite me for a cup of tea!

5) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012

United Pune Property Buyers Continue Their Fight Against VAT & Builders!

6) MONDAY, APRIL 09, 2012

Review of Splendour - Megapolis Smart Homes 3, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune 411 057

7) TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2011

Sexy Sangria Towers, Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune

8) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 01, 2011

Sexy Sangria Towers, Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune - Photo Visit

9) TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012

Romancing the Home

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68 comments:

  1. Really sorry to hear such condition. I was also planning to book in splendour. Isn't there any savior for ppl? Would any consumer forum matter in such case who would realise the builders their job ? Because till day, they think that their only job is to collect money. Its pathetic when it comes to service. And this may happen in any site any township any scheme.

    ReplyDelete
  2. never book any flat with these blood sucker builders, always go for ready to move property which is at least 6 month old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you Gaurav.
      Kumar Properties has only reputation in their hand. Nobody would buy at such remote (it is the future but still remote) place at such rates if the builder cannot be trusted for infrastructure.
      People won't mind paying 60-70 lacs if builder provides peace of mind.
      Btw, I want to know experience of owners of "smart home 1". Are they also facing issues?
      And I hope that smart-home-2 and smart-home-3 construction is on right pace. :)

      Because builder community is famous to put in all slabs very fast (it doesn't cost much to put slabs and builder get almost 90% of of cost of apartment) and then take 1 or 2 years for interiors.

      To all Megapolis owners, wish you the best :)

      Delete
  3. And he still wears a smile. Good luck to Swapnil & Nalili and hope (fingers crossed) you get all problems sorted!!

    As a person, who has a flat booked in H block, is there anything we can do to help? What lessons should we learn? What ypu would have done differently when this was being built?

    When is the society going to be formed? Having bought flat before, I can understand 'teeting' trouble but this is a different beast. All the best.

    Ravi - it turns out the builders are as unreliable as our govt when it comes to infrastructure. Can you please keep up posted on how things develop for this couple? Are you in process of capturing anymore views? Keen to know if plumbing is an general building wide issue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First of the thing you should get the vitrified tiles installed.
      As many of the owners managed to get the tiles installed before coming but once you take the possession you are no more asset for them and they will start neglecting towards your demand and then roller coaster ride with the elite maintenance and so called cheap management staff will start.
      Have as much happy moments gathered before you aboard here.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Swapnil. I will get my booking amended to the same. I have already asked for an official compliant and I was told the president visited your flat and promised to resolve these issues. Is that true?

      Delete
  4. Sorry to hear this.
    Ravi : I appreciate you for writhing this. Despite the fact that you advertised this project a lot.
    Actually, the ground reality about Pune is, consumers are mostly IT people (young couples) who expect Quality, Timely Delivery, Customer Care etc. These things which they follow day to day in their Jobs. As we provide software for our client. While making that we do ensure so many things to make their customer happy. So somewhere we start thinking and expecting the similar things.
    But one should realize the huge difference between Sophisticated S/W industry and pathetic CIVIL industry. One has to learn this hard way. There is no guarantee of quality, no customer care, no satisfaction survey, no audit of quality. As the builder takes money & he doesn't care about what customer feels.
    Your effort of taking this up is really good. But I hardly doubt, it will have any impact on real statistics. People would still go and book the flat is "MiniPolis" (if that is the next scheme)
    Because there are hell lot of investors, people with black money. Who doesn't care about leakage, society formation, security. As they are either sitting 120 KM away in Mumbai or far away in US.
    I am not pessimistic but realistic in this matter. Do not expect anything which says, "customer care", "quality"
    At the end who suffers is middle class ( I doubt to call this as middle class who pays 70 lakh for home :) ) But yes that's the way it goes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rohan,
      It is about helplessness of middle class. For example builder of TCS office delays possession even by few weeks, he would have to pay penalty. Can you do ask the same from Megapolis management?
      Also, TCS can award another contract to same builder if he does a good job. But middle class people only buys one flat. They are not repeat customers. So builders dont care for them.

      In short, middle class people don't have stick and not a carrot to get work done from a builder.

      Delete
    2. @Rohan Tare
      well said...
      last line is punch line...
      calling middle class to those who pay 70 lacs....and THAT TOO BEFOREHAND ARE RICH GUYS...

      Delete
  5. i feel envious to see people owning a property at premium location like hinjewadi (megapolis) and enjoying day-today interactions with top-notch neighborhood and maintenance staff. i feel dismayed that i wont be able to buy at such grand society

    ReplyDelete
  6. The problem in my opinion is that there have been too many flip-flops from Ravi on his views for megapolis. The issues seen by Swapnil are definitely sad to see and I hope he is able to work with the builder / maintenance staff and sort it out. Having said that, it is best to make your own opinion once you visit the site and see if these are one-off cases or more the norm. Being a smart homes 2 buyer, I plan to look myself and then form an opinion on the same..post diwali..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is very difficult to catch the poor quality of construction at the time of possession and before possession you will get false promises "Sab kuch ho jayega" .....and after possession you will actually come across construction quality issues.
      Now my major problem with the wooden flooring and leakages are clearly the poor construction quality and poor material and poor planning of plumbing lines . This i can not ensure at the time of possession but only when i came across 7-8 times leakages.

      Delete
  7. Neither Ravi nor any other person is to be blamed if the quality of construction is poor.You should always do all the research yourself and then make a decision yourself.If you feel cheated,there are a number of forums that you can approach with your grievances.Start off with Municipal corporation that addresses issues such as these.No point brooding now,rather think what can be done.
    http://ankushtulips.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  8. People who are really interested to know about megapolis please join some resident driven groups like megapolis-pune@yahoogroups.com or facebook.

    Ravi is the same person who had called Blue ridge as a chawl and was promoting megapolis two years back. From some time last year his marriage with Megapolis seem to have ended in a bitter divorce and here is this guy spitting poison every time he speaks about his ex wife. :-)

    Won't be surprised not to see my post published

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Darling Kartik, I am married to you. Not to any project or not to any builder.

      My dear Kartik, I love & respect you. I don't moderate or delete a comment. Feel free to open your mind.

      Thanks for sharing link to megapolis-pune : Megapolis Hinjewadi Pune - A forum ONLY for the home owners of Megapolis, Hinjewadi, Pune.


      Delete
    2. Thanks Kartik for sharing the link for this group. I did join the forum and happened to read the first hand posts from some of the other Sangria owners. The issue with the wooden flooring seems blown out of proportion in this blog. While owners did concede that they had some issues with the wooden flooring..they also pointed to the fact that the maintenance staff was quick to get the fixes done and more importantly get them done at no extra charge.

      Delete
    3. Ankit,

      My issue was the frequent leakages in the flat and subsequent wooden issues.
      Apart wooden flooring has seasonal expansion and contraction issues, wooden locks getting break causing uneven surfaces.
      Every time after follow ups i managed to get them replaced but this doesn't mean to keep this thing continue every time i face the problem.

      Every time false promises are given to address the issues and every time they give the promise and in 1-2 days leakage happens again!!!

      I am bearing to this torture from last 6 months and started chasing Mr.Narayan on permanent resolution for last 10 days and he got hyper in 10 days and stopped all the activities promised.

      So even if they are not charging me that doesn't mean that i should be happy!!!!!

      Delete
  9. I really feel sad and equally angry for such sort of affairs. Despite spending such an amount, buyers ends up in such a mess with no solution. For cell phone cos, there is TRAI which looks into matters where amount involved for customer is peanuts but no regulator for real estate. My brother had purchased a flat from Mittal Builders (also called as Mittal Group) on Sinhagad road in late 2008. He got delayed possession and he is also facing same issues mentioned here - Fungus on wall, wooden floor has come out, seepages etc. and no one is listening to them despite many complaints. The residents have put their complaints at this site -

    http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/mittal-builders-pune-pune-pune-maharashtra-c574008.html

    And guys, no point in blaming Ravi. He shares some fantastic information here, but at the end, one needs to do home-work on their own. Now lets see what can be done to correct the wrong than sit like idle ducks.

    I have however concluded that the safest bet is to buy ready possession, though choice maybe less, atleast you get peace of mind especially when there are hardly any professional builders in Pune. I just hope that the face of real estate changes for the better.

    @ Ravi and his readers,

    Wish you a happy deewali and joyful new year :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nalini & Swapnil,

    A simple question. Do you buy Rs. 10 thing without seeing it ? If not, why did you do it with BIGGEST SPENDING of your life.

    You should ask this question to yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hats Off!
    I too am a owner in Sangria.
    I have no started living there as there are no amenities like shopping etc nearby and problems sucha s Gas etc.

    But Megapolis has started deducting the maintenance (taken as advance at the time of possession in the form of postdated cheques)now.

    If this is the condition of Maintenance , what are we paying for/what are they charging for?

    And going by the no of electricity bill defaulters , many of the people have taken possession are not actually occupied.

    Money bleeds, always the average individual ends up paying.

    And somebody commented : Buy after it is built! But the value would have gone up drastically going by current trends everywhere and it becomes unaffordable.

    This has always been the case with real estate.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Ravi,

    People seems to be more concerned about the superficial things about the tiles, wooden flooring and seepage. I sincerely hope that the pune builders are not compromising the structural strength of the so called high rise towers because Pune lies very close to the seismically active zone around Koyna Dam, about 100 km (62 mi) south of the city, and has been rated in Zone 4 (on a scale of 2 to 5, with 5 being the most prone to earthquakes) by the India Meteorological Department.

    God Bless pune home buyers.

    VIshal

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi ravi,

    Now the status of the wooden flooring is worst ,completed POP layer down the wooden is all the wet and unsucessfull attempt to dry it is going on from last 3 days.
    After repeated follow ups on wooden flooring replacement MANAGEMENT of megapolis straight away discarded the idea to install vitrified tiles, i don't understand some MANAGEMENT sitting in the CAMP area w\o acknowledging our concerns and miserable life we are spending can take such decisions??

    I don't understand replacing the wooden flooring , what is the guarantee that tomorrow again it will not come up with other problem of air trapping beneath wooden\gaps in the wooden strips\ damage by water leakage \ climate damage ...these are all identified problems in my flat and don't know about any future issues.
    What do they expect to keep on following with the senseless maintenance office and the irresponsible management at the CAMP office of Kumar properties ????

    Terrible ..Horrible...miserable life that too being paid to some builder to make him rich ....i feel very sad\ regret this wastage of money.


    Looking at these experiences with the management its better to have a home in a small society with 5-6 towers where MANAGEMENT is grounded and address the problem.

    Buyers reach me at 9970374888/swaphirapurkar@gmail.com before investing in megapolis ...this is not to divert you from your option but to understand where you are investing .....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Swapnil, It is very sad to see your problem. I have realized that Big townships have few drawbacks, like transportation.

    For your problem keep dropping mails to builder every week. If after a deadline your problem is not resolved go to consumer court and inform your builder that you are are forced to do this due to his ignorance.

    Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anybody know the good lawyer or a adviser to start with the legal case against megapolis?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Swapnil..no need to hire lawyer ... go to consumer court in pune. Fill form, Attach all proofs-Like mailing commnunication, pictures of flooring etc to support your case. It might take time.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes sachin i started with the process yesterday.

    Interestignly New finding!!!!
    When i asked for the complaint book to the maintenance office, to submit the remaining proofs to consumer court , they said it is taken away by head office people !!!!
    Then i said ok no problem give me the contact number of the person who took away that book.
    So according to him , he don't know who took away that book n the morning he came to office they said there was no book and has no contact with the headoffice!!!!!

    A simple question if you know you are right then why are you running away?????

    Why are you hesitating giving me the complaint book??

    ReplyDelete
  18. Drop a mail to Megapolis management that you are going to file a case in consumer court, wait for a week, if no reply, file case.

    Good Luck.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Any idea about the rental rates in sangria for 3 bhk ? I was one of the early occupiers of a flat in Magarpatta in 2005 ..Also faced the same problem there but after that things went fine ..I wish the same happens here also..otherwise all the investors will face a very hard time selling or renting their properties Megapolis !

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nitesh Vij,
    One of my realtive also faced similar issues in magarpatta and i was staying them at that time and i observed the way magarpatta dealt with them and there was assurance and commitments given and were served on time. The execution of those commitments was very much planned like people in IT execute particulat project release...yes it was so much of planned with the daily work status confirmation between the resident and the builder....very well managed...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Swapnil ....water leakages are really serious issues and shouldnot be taken lightly . They hamper the safety of the entire structure. Few years back , there was a tragic incidence. Three people died in Araneyshwar(Sahkar Nagar) , while standing on the apartment terrace as it collapsed. After proper enquiry it was found that the rods in the concrete slab developed rust due to water lekages ,and could not bear the weight.And this was another "REPUTED" builder from Pune .
    Here is the link http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-12-06/pune/27839778_1_pmc-engineers-building-permission-builder

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr Unknown, please let me know how can rust on the rods compromise strength. Concrete has high compressive strength to withstand loads. rods are added to only give some flexibilty to the structure.

      Delete
    2. @Rathin: this response is way too delayed, but nonetheless for the benefit of others. A structure has to withstand compressive, tensile, and bending stresses. The tension and bending stresses are almost entirely borne by the steel reinforcement in concrete. Health of steel is paramount in structural stability.

      Delete
  22. Has there been any response on the Structural Risks due to these leakages. What is the gaurentee to people staying there?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are no structural risks for the next 20 years. If anything happens after that, builder won't be around anyway.

      Delete
  23. Hi there,

    I wanted to know about Kumar Primavera Project located on Mundhwa-Kharadi Bypass Road,
    will it be a good option if I purchase a property there?

    Responses are welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Read this:

    Hi,
    I booked a flat in SmartHomes, Sparklet A4, Megapolis.

    First of all they never informed in letters that they sent for payments to be made slabwise about the late payment fees that are applicable. Then later when the possession time was near, that is after 2 yrs they mentioned late payment charge around 40k which I negotiated and paid 28k.

    Later, after I got possession from last 6 months i have been complaining about so many things that is not done propoerly. The best answer they give is to repaint which is not the solution.

    1. In kitchen the slab fell over when they were grilling a hole in the neighbouring flat. Thankfully, i was saved.
    2. Bathroom flooring was not proper. Water used to come in flat instead of going in the drainage. I got that repaired but then it was not done properly. I had to get them put a slab to prevent water coming out.
    3. There was a leakage in kitchen ceiling and common bathroom which i doubt they repaired. They just painted.
    4. There are more than 6 colour shades tiles in master bathroom.
    5. Doors have been getting inflated and got them cut 3 times in 6 months.
    6. There were iron rods coming out from the walls which I got cut.
    7. Finishing is extremly poor in the whole flat.
    8. Now, there is leakaege coming to the walls of master bedroom from bathroom and all paint etc is coming out.
    9. If you put curtains, the holder comes out as the walls are hollow from within.
    10. Kitchen sink does not drain water properly.
    11. All pipes etc are leaking from period to period.
    12. Walls are ceilings are uneven.

    Overall, there is extremely bad quality of work and no audit done in this buildings. I wonder how can such a big builder not have audits and pass on flats in haphazard manner. I feel i have wasted my hard earned money by investing in thhis builder - Pegasus :(

    Can I get justice?
    Megapolis Complaints. Extremely bad quality of construction, Builders, Pune,Consumer Complaints Company Complaint India

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  25. I've been staying here for the past 6 months and the issues raising on daily basis. Water problem, Drainage problem, Petrol theft from two wheeler, Unnecessary maintenance charges for tenants which were not informed initially to access Gym/play ground/park, worst construction quality, water leakage from walls and what not.... the list goes on... It really sucks and just think 1000 times before you go to Megapolis, Pune office for any inquiry...

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  26. why Ravi is our side now , i purchased a flat in megalopolis based on ravi blog , he should be answerable .

    now all the flat has been sold out so now ravi is in our side , I am little bit confused you should stay only 1 side ravi .

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  27. If people are going to buy their homes merely by referring to a biased real estate blog rather than doing their actual research, then i am not surprised that people are facing problems. Why blame the builders and projects? grow up! take responsibility people!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Replies
    1. Recently I saw very good changes & improvements.
      It looks that Promoters & Builders (Kumar & ABIL)have resolved their rift & both are working closely to give customers best quality.
      I am sure both entities are reputed & they will regain customers confidence & their reputation in market.

      Delete
  29. All the buyers of MP are satisfied....only few individual complaints are there in each flat.
    As buyers are from IT industry it get published easily everywhere.Whereas buyers in other low grade schemes are not from IT so their problems never get know...

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  30. I have not got the possession of my flat in Megapolis sunway yet. Is someone facing this issue.

    Can we ask for interest on delayed possession?

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  31. Yes Anks.We can get the interest.
    Need to gather all.

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  32. Home In Pune has many clients in MEGAPOLIS, the feed back I got is MEGAPOLIS services are professionally managed. There have been issues, however most customers agree they are committed to resolve issues. In case of Swapnil, I understand from customers that he has a personal issue with a particular employee in MEGAPOLIS, other wise all his problems have been resolved. In Home In Pune opinion MEGAPOLIS is delivering to clients what they had promised viz - School, creche,daycare, market, Tennis academy, upcoming polyclinic, shuttle service, 7 Star club U/c etc. Its walk to work concept for ph -III is reality.

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  33. Ravi sir u always have given the best reviews be it negative or positive..hats off to you sir..real estate in surat also needs such bloggers like you who can give genuine reviews of the property market here..

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  34. will think twice now to book any apartment here , thanks for guide good work.

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  35. Ravida my experience with IT community is they are very fussy about amenities as well so called luxury but rarely goes in depth with the real core of construction; they wont mind paying extra about the swimming pool & gym but even dont know what kind of cement is being used for construction leave apart any knowledge of construction process! Money or luxury isnt everything, durability is the thing which we should look for when we are buying a product like home which is going to serve us for nearly 60 years ie life of RCC & that makes two generations! Unfortunately these people goes on flashy brochures, sales office, chakchak mkt executives & thats all! Ask them how many of them have visited completed projects of any of the builder & took effort to speak the people living in those complexes! Builders take advantages of these mentalities & then with our weak laws get away by fooling so called IT or Service Industry crowd who earn by their hard hours in office but get away with their earnings so easily! Instead settle for lees amenities, simple project, understand ur needs & stick to them is the funda! Speak to the customers of the builder & then only book a home! After all this if u still get cheated then ur bad luck! As an engineer as well small time developer I can share this on this platform!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely right, but that is true about all average IT and non-IT folks. They are not civil or structural engineers. For them quality is as it appears, in the form of glossy tiles, lustre paint, jaguar fittings, roma switches and amenities like club house, gym and swimming pool. Ensuring structural stability is the job of builders, structural engineers, architects and the regulatory bodies like PMC. You cannot expect ordinary buyers to understand structural aspects.

      Delete
  36. Part 1 of my comment....
    Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning…Bill Gates.
    Well no need to introduce who the author of this quote is as he is the person who too customer service in his industry at a new level; “User Friendly” is the word he introduced in complex product like software & right from five year kid to eighty years old grandma are now User Friendly with computer, thanks to Microsoft! Unfortunately the real estate in our country seems to be taken only first part of his quote, when it comes to customer service! While entering in a new year where everybody is quite wary about entire economy & what lies ahead, real estate is also no exception. Agreed because of the nature of the product where most of the time demand exceeds supply, over the years the real industry has enjoyed monopoly when it comes to sale! So on this front let’s focus ourselves on Pune real estate which is a Metro in making. Recently in the year end a survey has been conducted & the outcome has been published in all the news papers. It’s about complaints registered at District Consumer Forum in year 2013 & needless to say the real estate has topped here. Out of nearly 560 total complaints 217 i.e. 40% were against builders in & around Pune!
    Well many will say what’s big deal? Don’t we know the way builders treat rather cheat their customers, & rather we would have been surprised if any other profession would have been at top in this survey! Well can’t really blame them as each day real estate does make headlines but mostly for wrong doing is a fact. Reasons may be many but that’s what the image of builders is in common man’s eyes but what is reality? To me agreed this industry in past hasn’t been much customer friendly but look at the sheer size of turnover in compare to numbers of units as well the money involved in yearly transaction & the large segment which it covers! All though no agency has exact record of how many numbers of flats has been sold & what’s amount of these flats per year yet it must be way beyond any consumer good even automobiles is what my experience says. And the industry is not professional as anybody with land & some money under his belt can become a builder, & this anybody don’t have any background nor training to deal with the customer of his profession. Most of the complaints if you analyze are about the builders who don’t have any pedigree or one timer’s i.e. single project type. And the nature of complaints is again same i.e. not fulfilling possession commitments or not providing committed amenities & then about poor quality construction. Here in this industry frankly there are no set norms for the quality as yet most of the works are carried by manual labor especially finishing work like tiling, woodwork & painting. Not many customers are keen to check quality on durability & strength basis; they just go by the finish look of the project.

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  37. Part 2
    The major reason of all the post deal complaints or drift between the developer & the client is no dialogue, neither during the booking process & nor during the construction! If you see the points of conflicts most could have been avoided if proper communication has been kept between the client & the developer & for that it’s very important from developers side to be in touch with the customers on regular basis. Now a days there are web sites, email, whatsap, image sharing web site & many such tools through which you can keep updating all the information regarding the site & its work to the clients who have booked their home in that project. Most people have net access on their cell phone so information sharing is very easy. What is my experience with real estate is, still it’s very primitive when it comes to operating the business. Most of the clients still like to be in touch with the main person behind the company i.e. chief promoter or the builder we may call him. If the builder can keep himself available to the clients by using any of above medium or build a strong second rank in the organization which can be available for any of the smallest quarry by the customer then such group rarely faces any problem from the customers. After all what a common customer wants is someone who can listen him & act upon whatever his requirement is & that action may not be always as per what he wants, we can be politely say no but the no should come with logic! And nothing wrong is such expectation of the customer after all this is age of customers & real estate is no exception to the rule!
    Here is where importance of the dialogue between the customer & the builder is vital as if we can explain the reason of the complaint to the customer & then act within committed time, there won’t be any clashes. But what is observed is either the builder neglects customers complaint because he really doesn’t care about the same or many a times the complaint isn’t right in itself or out of capacity of the developer to repair or attain. For e.g. if some flat holder got interior changes in his toilet after possession & then the toilet starts leakage in the flat below, obviously the flat holder will come to builder. And agreed the builder is at no fault yet he should not avoid or shrug of the flat holder who is suffering but try to resolve the issue by taking joint meeting of the both flat holders involved. This will make at least the builder’s image better in the eyes of the suffering flat holder. Let’s remember no problem can be solved by avoiding it & best way is through the problem & not around the problem!

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  38. part 3

    Also, right from the construction stage we can arrange small get together at site with the customers who have booked flats in that project. This will create a bond between the clients’ right from beginning & it will help them to have a better communication amongst themselves when they will get possession & actually start living over there. And through such interactions we could educate the clients about the construction techniques we use at site as well make them aware about the maintenance issues which may come up in future such as hair cracks in plaster or seepage in rains!
    The role of the client also is equally important as no dialogue can go just one way, we should demand from the developer as much information we can about our own project as well his completed projects, as it will save us from lots of bitter experiences ahead. As number of complaints has been about not fulfilling the commitments made about amenities or possession date. Try to dig about the past of the developer before entering in any deal as past is like a mirror for any business house, so it’s better to inquire before it’s too late! Again many a people goes with what’s been projected in advertise or brochures only, which is a wrong practice. Speak with existing customers of the developer as well with the principal person, try to know about his values & approach to the business. Such thing does help in ensuring that you are dealing with proper person & putting your money in safe hands. If we really want to make the real estate industry to look after by a common man with respect then the terms like transparency & trust should come in our action & not remain just bookish things. The times are changing fast & technology is making people aware about good practices being followed all over the globe. Agreed land remains most scarce thing & it does give builders an upper hand in compare to any other business but then it’s a responsibility also!
    Here Govt also should form a special tribunal for all sorts of real estate issues, especially disputes amongst builder & clients or land title claims. As at present civil courts as well revenue department takes too much time due to their other work load. This will make people respect the law as a justice delay is justice denied! Organizations of the developers like Credai have their Grievance Cell which looks after the consumer’s complaints on association forum & this information should be made to reach more & more home buyers as well existing customers. Also the associations should work on educating the fellow developers about good ethics of the business as well becoming customer friendly. As it’s surely not a good image to top in the list of Consumer Complaints List! And it’s up to us only to straighten up this record by our own conduct , then only we can be eligible to call us Developer, as being the developer doesn’t mean just building walls, selling them & make money but it’s to develop a society of humans where the culture of good things will grow & flourish!
    Sanjay Deshpande

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  39. Very incompetent Society Maintenance staff. There are people/families staying in Megapolis where there are 12 Plus people staying in a single family and making neighborhood miserable to stay. These people creates so much disturbance that any healthy family might get sick of there behavior. We came to know that even after several complaints society management did nothing and took no action against such families. They don't even know how to evict them instead they are so afraid of such families that they makes deals with them and avoids phone calls/mails from complainants. Its very easy to fool maintenance as these families misguide them by stating that these all people in the flat are guests and leaving tomorrow. Even after months they don't leave and maintenance people gets fooled and neighbors suffers. If you are willing to move in this creepy society than you are committing suicide and also forcing your family into mentally retarded environment. Check 100 time s before moving in and ask at least 4-5 people in floors as construction is so poor that you can feel door slams on 10th floor on 3rd floor. Also society has no rules for smoking and you might face serious issues if you are asthmatic as you will get nicotine supply free 24/7 from bachelors living above/below your flat from all windows from bedroom to bathroom and hall to dining.
    DOG ISSUE: On the contrary there are few insane people in society with dogs and they make there dogs poop everywhere in public areas of society(lifts, lobbys, parkings, internal roads and garden) so be aware you don't know when you step into poop of dogs. Major RISK here is a weird custom in this society to 'keep dogs unchained'. YESsss!, you don't know when a dog will bite you or your wife, children, parent when you come out of a lift or in the garden as not only dog think that its funny and they says that dogs are having fun when they come on you unchained and they say that it will not bite you while fact is that postman was attacked in front of me and dog owner said he never bite anyone, its the first time LOL.
    BACHELORS: In this society bachelors are main trouble. They play woofers whole days and nights and society does nothing about it. REASON BEHIND THIS IS SOCIETY WANTS MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY TO SELL THERE REMAINING FLATS AT PEAK RATES AND IMPRESS INVESTORS THAT THEY WILL GET GOOD RETURNS AND IMMEDIATE RENT.
    Last but not least -
    Welcome to Hell… Welcome to Megapolis!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am the owner of Sparklet A17 11th floor apartment.
      Some reviewers, are far too negative and pick up only the negative aspects. There are many positives about Sparklet but I agree that negatives outnumber them.

      Positives:
      1. Good gate security.
      2. Amenities are in usable shape
      3. Maintenance people do come to do some touchups :)
      4. Very close to offices located in phase 2 and 3
      5. Common areas are cleaned regularly and well maintained.

      Negatives
      1. Poor construction quality. Walls are not straight, ceiling is not leveled and flat. Wall joins are not straight. This is the first thing that you will notice when you enter a sparklet apartment.
      2. Poor construction of kitchen slab. Water flows in the reverse direction and accumulates near the wall. Maintenance office refused to solve the problem and I had to shell out money from my pocket and my time to get it fixed. I am assuming this is not a common problem in sparklet.
      3. There are no shopping area - for groceries and other necessary stuffs. There is just one shop for sundry stuffs and often runs on monopoly. For everything else you need to add 10Km at least to your commute.
      4. Bare minimum local transport. You better buy your own vehicle or spend hours waiting. You will be marooned on weekends if you are dependent on public transport. Sparklet has a shuttle service but most of the time it is unavailable.
      5. Common bathroom has the worst finish in the house. Seems some novice came and tried his hands on the floor and wall tiles. Same with the plumbing. I was expecting a better build quality from the builder.Bathroom attached to master bedroom is finished well.
      6. I have got the cracks (in the entire house) refilled and repainted 4 times in my house. I am sure it will come again in a few months. Luckily this was done free of cost for me but then there were indirect cost like - cleaning the entire house again and again, taking leaves for maintenance work, spend time and effort in following up with maintenance, etc.

      I think the builder has kept his reputation intact and delivered something good. The buildings look good and are maintained well from outside. But for inside you would give (subjective) 60-70% to the builder for the build quality.

      Delete
  40. http://ravikarandeekarsblog.blogspot.in/2013/10/Sangria-Towers-Megapolis-Hinjewadi-Pune-India-Latest-News.html

    Check this out. Ravi Karandikar appreciating MEGAPOLIS

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  41. Project itself is miserable.... I know couple of people whom i know personally facing similar level issues.... And are regretting buying a flat here in Megapolis....Poor construction quality and poor execution of plans.... it seems developers enjoying price benefit and association with MIDC as land is given to them on lease.....its high time MIDC should look into issues of Customers and penalize such non sense, non competent developers....

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  42. Feeling completly disappointed with megapolis.... Never seen such a crap society yet....quality of water is bad, quality of service is pathetic.
    Resent case this society does not even know how to manage things out. only thing what they know is how to cut money from the tenants and owners. It is far better to live in some small society than chasing such big pethatic society.
    money is all they want to earn.....

    Please any one planing to buy a flat in megapolis ,please do re think.... do you want to suffer and regret coming here.....

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  43. completely feeling regretted to chose megapolis. Its just been less then a year i am residing here and my experience is pathetic.

    Pathetic maintenance, worse rules, and this society is just a disgusting place i have ever seen.

    Been such a big society they do not even know how to manage it. I would rather suggest some small society, Small society are far better and in fact not even worth comparing with megapolis. they just want money to be extracted form the owners and tenants, but cannot provide proper facilities even paying such high amount. There is problem regarding water just for 2 hours or less than that is available for the entire day. No light backup facility. Quality of water is pathetic keeps stinking. there are many more problems but just write more feed up with this society and much more irritated too. Cannot live here anymore.

    Please anybody planning to buy a flat or stay here, please do not even consider this as an option and screw up your peaceful life.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing your experience, for the benefit of others.

      Delete