PUNE, July 9 -- A day after a massive landslide triggered by unprecedented rainfall, which killed one with hunt for the other on at a resort, the Lonavala Municipal Council (LMC) announced one of its biggest enforcement drives in recent years on Wednesday. As a part of the initiative, notices will be issued to over 100 luxury bungalows in this hill station, over alleged violations of sanctioned building plans. The civic body's move highlights the fragility of Lonavala. Having received the heaviest rainfall in its recorded history over the last three days - measuring over 1,500 mm - a crucial question facing the 155-year-old hill station is whether rapid urbanisation, mushrooming luxury projects and mega infrastructure development are outpacing the carrying capacity of one of the Western Ghats' most eco-sensitive towns. A favoured weekend getaway for citizens of Mumbai and Pune, the hill station which has a population of around 75,000, attracts well over a lakh visitors on weekends while simultaneously hosting some of the state's largest infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and its ambitious 13.3-km Connecting Link. The recent deluge led to landslides and flooded roads; halted railway services between Mumbai and Pune, and disrupted traffic on both the expressway and old Mumbai-Pune highway, exposing the vulnerability of the town. Ashok Sable, LMC's chief officer, said door-to-door verifications will be conducted of over 100 luxury bungalows in Rustic Highland, an upscale enclave on Khandala Road, after the civic body received complaints of alleged deviations from sanctioned plans and violations of development control regulations recently. The survey is expected to become the first phase of a wider inspection of villa projects, gated communities and premium housing plans across Lonavala. "A detailed survey of every bungalow will be conducted to check if they adhere to the approved plans. Strict action will follow wherever violations are established," Sable told HT. Municipal officials HT spoke to pointed out that alterations have been carried out in many old bungalows without obtaining fresh approvals. They suspect that many luxe villas have expanded built-up areas, enclosed terraces, constructed swimming pools, decks, gazebos, staff quarters, retaining walls, parking sheds and other permanent structures not included in the original sanctioned plans. An official said nearly 95% of the villas are owned by non-locals, primarily from Mumbai and Pune, who use them as second homes or rent them as luxury weekend accommodations. Officials admitted that unauthorized construction has increasingly become an environmental concern here, particularly as natural drainage channels are altered and hill slopes witness continuous construction activity. While the recent incessant rain, which included a 48-hour accumulation of nearly 1,300 mm, was unprecedented, scientists said that cannot alone be held responsible for the scale of disruption. Geomorphologist Shrikant Gabale said the rapidly changing land use patterns have amplified the impact of extreme weather. "Like many rapidly urbanising hill towns, Lonavala faces poor surface and groundwater management, inadequate rainwater harvesting, encroachment on natural streams and drainage channels, and extensive tree loss. During extraordinary rainfall, huge surface runoff and soil erosion become inevitable. Scientific planning, watershed management and protection of natural drainage systems are essential if similar disasters are to be minimised in future," said Gabale. Over the years, environmentalists have repeatedly warned that construction activity, hill cutting, slope modification and alteration of natural watercourses increase the region's vulnerability during cloudbursts and prolonged heavy rainfall. Pune-based geologist Ajit Vartak said: "This issue is not limited to only Lonavala. A similar impact is witnessed in Mahabaleshwar and Matheran, where the floating population is extremely high, creating enormous demand that puts pressure on existing resources." While noting the irony of tourism keeping the local economy well-oiled and at the same time, weighing down on the ecology, Vartak suggested that the government should strike a balance between promoting tourism and protecting resources by regulating the number of visitors. "The government can take inspiration from the Amarnath Yatra and other major religious pilgrimages by introducing a daily visitor quota. Once the day's quota is exhausted through bookings, no further entry should be permitted," he said. While the municipal council is equipped to serve the resident population of around 75,000, officials estimate the town has over 5,000 hotels, resorts, villas, homestays and holiday accommodations catering to tourists. By Saturday, the hill town's hotels and villas operate at near full occupancy, with crowds thronging markets, waterfalls and other places of attraction, demanding the deployment of additional traffic personnel. Dinesh Tayade, senior police inspector at Lonavala Rural police station, said, "The place experiences exceptionally heavy tourist movement during weekends, leading to congestion on roads to popular destinations. We always appeal to tourists to avoid peak hours, refrain from roadside parking and cooperate with police personnel to ensure smooth movement." Mahesh Karande, who runs a 70-room resort in Lonavala, said, "The pressure of guests is immense every weekend, forcing us to increase our workforce, stock additional food and other essentials. We also need to ensure an interrupted supply of water and power so that guests do not face inconvenience. We need better civic infrastructure so that hotels can continue providing quality services to guests." Beyond tourism, the hill station's importance is also enhanced as the state's busiest transport corridor connecting Mumbai with Pune, passes through it carrying millions of passengers and massive freight traffic every year. The recent landslide near the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's Connecting Link has not just intensified political debate on infrastructure development but also called attention to the fragile Western Ghats. Said Gabale, "Lonavala, being part of the Sahyadri mountain range and situated on the Deccan Plateau, has a fragile landscape. Soil tends to loosen during intense rainfall, increasing the probability of landslides. However, it would be too early to conclude that the landslide which affected the Connecting Link project was caused solely by the heavy rainfall. It will require further scientific study."...