CEMENT-LADEN TRUCKS roar along dusty roads, machines drill into the rocks, sun-baked labour- ers hammer on endlessly - you can literally hear the idiom here, the last nails being driven into Lonavla's coffin. The best-known hill station in Maharashtra is as good as dead, with a little help from greedy builders, an unmoved govern ment, home-seekers and tourists.
The lush greenery, postcard views and cool climate are a myth now. As per local municipal fig- ures, 65 per cent of the total land has been constructed on. With the government declaring only 20 per cent of the hills a green belt, which includes green houses and farm- houses, the rest of the land - 15 per cent - is up for grabs.
The once-pristine hill town can be a test case of where the state's hill stations, coast and forests could head to if laws regulating construction are not brought in and immediately implemented.
"An overwhelming volume of construction has happened in the last five years," said Ashok Jadhav, administrative head, Lonavla Mu nicipal Council.
More than 1.25 lakh tourists visit Lonavla every year. While tourism and hotel web sites continue to boast of its unspoiled beauty with suspiciously outdated pictures, the hills are dotted with 100 housing societies, each with 12-50 bungalows and apartments. Every year, 100 to 150 bungalows are built in Lonavla.
"It is fashionable to have a second home in Lonavla. It has become a status symbol," said Jadhav.
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