Captain Planet

If not anybody else the Magarpatta community surely knows the way to a greener future. Numerous systems, regulations and facilities are in place to ensure that this township exists in harmony with Mother Nature.  

WASTE MANAGEMENT

It is a rule in Magarpatta City that each resident has to separate their household garbage into non-biodegradable and biodegradable waste before handing it over to the housekeeping. Therefore separating the garbage at source makes it easier to manage waste. To make the best use of their waste the Magarpatta community indulges in activities like vermiculture and recycling. The bio-degradable garbage which is collected from the township is piled up in the vermiculture facility in their nursery and left to decompose and become green manure. The compost generated is used in the nursery, households for in-house saplings, extensive gardening projects of Magarpatta City, organic farming and their Plant Library. There is also a small bio-gas plant which utilizes the sewage produced by the residential complexes to power the motor which pumps the water in the central water tank of the township. A part of the garbage collected is also recycled and the re usable scrap is sold. To ensure multiple benefits the produced manure, grown plants, saplings and organic vegetables are sold.

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Situated on the Western Ghats, Pune receives a fair share of rainfall (780 mm) each year. Magarpatta City has taken the initiative to harvest this rainwater with efficiency.  A manmade lake has been created to collect rainwater during the monsoon season, out of 175 planned bore wells 44 have been dug out and functional 9 original wells have been interconnected to circulate the water. Footpaths, parking areas, landscapes and internal roads have been paved with pervious material.  Mounds have also been created to increase the exposed surface area for better water retention. These techniques have helped prevent flooding situations and raised the ground water table. Use of rainwater harvesting has not only made water better available and enhanced the green belt but also kept the temperatures cooler in the locality.  

SOLAR WATER HATING

In India shortage of electricity is a major hurdle. Therefore tapping natural resources for electricity is proving to be viable. It is also a very economic solution. For the supply of hot water the residents of Magarpatta City solely depend on Solar Water Heating Panels. The terrace of every building has solar panels which provides for each household. This way a substantial amount of electricity is saved every day. For every 3 KW of energy saved amounts to reduction of approximately 1 ton of green house gasses which would have been emitted otherwise.  

MAGARPATTA PLANT LIBRARY

An innovative way of promoting green management was undertaken in Magarpatta by introducing a Plant Libraries. It has not only helped people become aware of the different species of plants, their importance but also developed a culture within the people of spending time with plants. The maintenance of this library is done through the minimal charges which are collected from people upon their visit. 

Class Exclusivity

The past decade has witnessed a heavy influx of skilled labor with the boom of education and software industries in Pune. The earning class of the population has expanded significantly. This class earns well and is willing to pay for a good standard of living. Localities like Magarpatta City attract the well earning members of our society instantly. Without a doubt Magarpatta City has become one of the more expensive and luxurious localities in Pune. The price of every square foot has almost tripled as compared to the price when Magarpatta City was in its initial phases. In terms of aesthetics, luxuries and quality this township is nearly ideal. Every single problem which plagues numerous cities across the country has been taken care of by the developers of Magarpatta City. But this does not mean that those problems do not exist in the rest of Pune. Open spaces, fresh air, clean surroundings, greenery, silence, traffic free travelling which were a given once upon a time have become luxuries for which individuals are willing to pay through their noses.  Therefore in all of this where does the unskilled and poverty stricken population go?  A huge chunk of our society has been erased from this pretty picture. It is this willingness to shell out money on which the providers monopolize. As a result of which, miniature cities like Magarpatta are becoming increasingly class exclusive. There is no place for anyone who does not earn ‘well enough’.  Even though the working class is growing the slum population is stagnant. The deprived are denied clean surroundings, a decent home, and basic amenities to sustain themselves because they cannot pay for it. We are talking about private townships when many of them cannot even imagine a private bathroom or a bedroom. Such discrepancies and exclusiveness obliterates the social setting of cities by making the societal divides harder to overcome. 

Magarpatta- Quite the house but not quite the home

As I walked into Magarpatta City, I had this pre-conceived notion that people inside would, almost certainly, not be happy with the place. I was for some odd reason not happy with the idea of Magarpatta as an all providing township.

Back in Bombay, where I live, I too had bought flats in a similar project where the society tries to provide for everything. At first I was very eager for its completion so that I could go and live there but then as I saw the project complete, the thought of being spoon feed everything, drove me away from it. Probably the reason why I never agreed to shift there.

So, with this mental picture (block) I visited Magarpatta City, to see how things work out there. It must be mentioned here that I was keen on finding flaws, so I could assert my assumptions and feed my ego.

Once I entered Magarpatta, the image in my head lost all relevance. I had previously visited Magarpatta once, but had only seen a speck of this large project and back then my purpose was visit was entertainment and not town criticism.

As we walked through the place, I began writing down my notes. I took notes of the clean and wide roads, the abundant sign boards and maps, of plants, trees, shrubs, grass and almost everything green, buildings with clothes hanging on the balconies, big glass buildings shinning hard in the sun and cars-lots of them.

There were different areas designated for different purposes. The residential was separate from the commercial or the recreational but yet everything was close enough to access. There was a special market zone which provided for more than people would want I think. It had four to five dentist clinics and real estate offices, a line of general and medical stores, salons, travel agents, fruit sellers, restaurants and even a music academy. Stuff like is sometimes hard to find even in the proper city. Above all it was most interesting to find out that, all these places somehow did good business within their 9am – 11pm working hours. It’s a good hint to how large the population of Magarpatta is (rougly 40,000).  One could argue here that there is no real need for multiple stores selling the same things as it just leads to surplus and waste, but I guess it’s all a part of recreating the real ‘city charm’, and as long as it’s working fine for everyone, it should be left alone. Also of course the more rational counters could be that it does away with the society’s responsibility of ensuring goods are provided to everyone so that no one complaints and also helps generate lot revenue through renting out of space.

This wasn’t the kind of spoon feeding I hated. Here one had to make the effort of bargaining and searching for the right product.

Another important aspect of Magarpatta was the cyber-city. A lot of the people I met, lived in Magarpatta because they worked here, employed mostly by the IT companies. One of the residents I met shared a joke, popular in Magarpatta that went like, “if you pick up a stone and throw it in Magarpatta, chances are, you’ll hit an engineer more often that you would hit a dog”.  This may not, so well, reflect the sense of humor of the inhabitants of Magarpatta but it does show the extent to which the young educated working class is a part of the Magarpatta society. An important statistic if we are looking at a model for the future urban world.

Most of the people, employed in this cybercity, who lived in Magarpatta, said that even-though the rent they paid at Magarpatta was almost double that of rent elsewhere in Pune city, they preferred doing so, as what they lost in terms of money they gained in terms of time. Also even as far as money was concerned they saved a lot on travelling, as almost all of them either walked or cycled to work (a good step ahead for solving the global fuel crisis today).

In and around all this structured planning, work and technology was the emphasis on Environment. Magarpatta actively advertised itself as the, ‘Oxygen Zone’. Perhaps it is because of the agricultural background of its owners that Magarpatta has been designed to be so environment friendly. There is not a space outside the buildings within 10 meters of which there won’t be a plant or a tree or at least grass. At every little distance there is a park, and all throughout the distance there are plants and trees along the roads and sidewalks. There is one central park and several smaller parks. A lot has been done to solve water crisis in an eco-friendly way through sewage water treatment and rain water harvesting. There is a setup for vermi-composting and bio gas generation and also one for waste segregation at the household level. At every stage pollution has been tried an avoided, be it construction or maintenance, the Magarpata management claims to always take the most eco-friendly measures possible.

But with all the benefits of Magarpatta also came a few flaws. For me, it can never be a pleasant experience when the place you live has a say in what you do in your house. When and how you paint, what internet you have, who comes to and leaves from your house and other small things that I feel only I should have the right to decide without any discussion or consultation. Magarpatta has this tendency to mingle with your ‘in-house life’ and this encroachment of the public into my private sphere creates a problem for me.  Also the new phenomenon of carrying id cards as proof your ownership of your house, is purely symbolic according to me as it almost certainly does not stop a person capable of committing a crime from doing one but it does put you under the surveillance of a higher authority whose rules you must obey. Earlier home used to be this one place, and perhaps the only, where you could be certain that no one is watching over you but now there is an outside law that governs your actions in this space as well.  

The Magarpatta experience for me was quite insightful as after this I am beginning to believe in the concept of such integrated town planning. According to me such a township can never assume the scale of real city as it leaves out a large section of the society who cannot afford to live in a setting like this. But for those sections that can afford this place, especially the working middle class, Magarpatta city and other such cities will be a good place to live in.

Magarpatta Dream

Spread over 400 acres and power packed with international amenities, Magarpatta City is an award winning and internationally appreciated model of integrated development and self-sustainability. Magarpatta City is a city within a city having commercial zone, residential neighborhoods, school, hospital, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and recreation places. All this is complemented by verdant greens and a pollution free ambience, a supreme setting for your life and business to evolve. A remarkable reality!

Magarpatta City was a dream, of 120 farmer families, now transformed into a remarkable reality. It is admired the world over as an internationally renowned model of inclusive development & social capitalism. Winning awards for integrated development and immaculate construction practices, Magarpatta City features a walk to work-home-recreation lifestyle, futuristic residential marvels, a very contemporary commercial zone, and a globally renowned IT park. Magarpatta City has also won accolades for eco-friendly features and pollution free environ. With a full fledged shopping zone, recreation facilities and offices in its campus, just take a walk daily to your office, stroll through the stunning environs every weekend while enjoying pollution free air with your family.
	The state-of-the-art Cybercity Magarpatta IT park occupies a place of pride in the hearts of the citizens of Magarpatta as well as Pune. Cybercity enjoys the presence of leading global IT giants Cybercity is blessed with international facilities.
	Through its sustainable development model, Magarpatta City introduced eco friendly development. Hence, almost 30 per cent of the area has been kept reserved for greenery. Implementation of waste management system, solar energy system ensures further enhancement of the environment.
	Magarpatta City has won many national and international awards for its uniqueness and novelty. It has won accolades in the 2008 Sidney World Congress of Metropolis. Maharashtra Economic Development Council lists Magarpatta City amongst the 'Top 10 success stories of the state'.
	Magarpatta City has also been Identified as a prestigious project along with 'Konkan Railways, Mumbai-Pune Expressway' at the infrastructure summit 2002. Cybercity has received first prize for in the IT infrastructure category at the Maharashtra IT Awards. The City has also been mentioned in the Limca Book of Records for having largest solar water heating system.
	The planners of the city have given explicit importance to the ecology of the surroundings. About 120 acres of Magarpatta City has a lush green natural carpet. Plus garden traffic islands and glorious fountains add to the city’s panoramic beauty. Covering 25 acres, Aditi Gardens is one of the largest open spaced gardens in Pune. IT is an architectural representation of our planet earth. Because of it being circular in nature, it provides a beautiful sight to every passing citizen.
	Today, the name Magarpatta City stands for quality in construction, innovation in design and impeccable planning. No wonder, it is regarded as the remarkable reality. A reality born through immaculate vision and brilliant execution.