Lavasa or Lonavala??

Lavasa, is no more a name which most people are not aware of. Following environmental ministry's objections over Lavasa, which is the first attempt to build a planned city in the 'free India' (We had planned cities in India like Chandigarh, but that was pre-independence era. However, work at Lavasa is stuck after MoEF's notice for over 2 months now.

Lavasa, promoted by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) is going through many controversies. It's owners included names like Mr. Sadanand Sule, 'Son in-law' of NCP leader Mr. Sharad Pawar in 2003-04 and why not, who in this country can claim to successfully acquire 20,000 acres without help from 'politicians'. After all, Lavasa needed huge tracts of land as the dream was to build a city, and not a small 'row houses' project. Look at the mess at all big cities in India. Traffic, water supply, sanitation, green cover(?), open spaces(??)...Lavasa was dream of building a city where these issues are taken care of by intense urban planning.

Because of sheer size, the project has come in the eyes of MoEF. If Lavasa would not have been a single project under one identifiable promoter, i guess there wouldn't have been any issues!! Just look at Lonavala, Shimla, Mussorrie or several other hill stations and the quantum of urbanization at these places (which is imminent!)

There are hundreds of different projects offering apartments/villas/bungalow plots in the hills of Lonavala and no one bothers about the traffic, water supply and sustainable development. But, if someone dreams of creating planned urban space like Lavasa...MoEF says...You can't do it.

I don't understand which way one should go? Should India continue to build cities the way Mumbai, Lonavala, Shimla are built (unplanned, haphazard manner in which townships and projects are being launched) or should planned developments like Lavasa be given a chance to show a alternate model of development..

The question in the end is which of the two are more dangerous kind of developments to environment...Lavasa or Lonavala? Which of the two appears to be more green, more planned, likely to put less pressure on resources, infrastructure and less hazardous...Lavasa or Lonavala??