A Presentation to Lavasa Management

1. Presentation to Lavasa
Management regarding causes
of water leakages in top floor
lake facing apartments
Report dated 26th August 2017
Prepared by Pritam Vachani co-owner apartment 403, Portofino Bldg H2

2. Background
• We have had water leakages since the very inception. Our complaints
accompanied by dated photos seemed to have had no effect – we have been
promised every year since over three years that the problems would be rectified
“after the monsoon” but this has never been done. David Amalraj at least had the
courtesy to visit our apartment a few months back and assured us that this time
all defects would be rectified “after the monsoon” and that he would ask the
head of CCC to take a personal look. However no one from CCC has ever come.
IN DESPERATION, WE AND SOME OTHERS HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE IT UPON
OURSELVES TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. WE HAVE FIRST APPOINTED EXPERTS
TO MAKE A DETAILED STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE DETAILED
REPORT ON PORTOFINO H2 APT 403 WILL BE AVAILABLE IN APPX 10 DAYS. THIS
PRESENTATION IS THEREFORE A PRELIMINARY ONE BUT DOES HIGHLIGHT THAT
MOST OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTIONS AND CAN
BE ADDRESSED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

3. SOME OF THE
PROBLEMS MAY BE
SPECIFIC TO OUR
APARTMENT
Leakage in foot of Guest Bedroom. The cause
of this leakage is due to a leak in a pipe (been
there right from the date of original
handover in 2013 – see next slide and pics

4. Leakage from pipe in service duct

5. The leakage of water has led to water collecting on the slab below and
one can see the percolation into the wall (app 12 inches in height) of the
adjoining Guest Bedroom

6. Solution to Problem No. 1 is extremely simple
•Fix leakage in pipe
•Make hole in slab to ensure no water collects

7. Water seepage on south
wall of guest bedroom
adjoining open utility
area
In a very bad state:
FOR CAUSE SEE NEXT SLIDE

8. SPACES BETWEEN
TILES HAVE NOT BEEN
FINISHED
THIS HAS RESULTED IN WATER
ACCUMULATING OVER SLAB NEXT TO
GUEST BEDROOM AND PERCOPATING UP
THE SOUTH WALL.
THIS WAS ONE OF 51 COMPLAINTS MADE
AT THE TIME OF HAND OVER BUT NEVER
RECTIFIED
SOLUTION EXTREMELY SIMPLE – FINISH
TIILES AND ENSURE WATER DOES NOT
COLLECT IN AREA – ALSO COVER AREA (as
neighbour has done) – see pic

9. We have complained for many
years to Lavasa re water
ingress into the kitchen – no
one seemed to have a clue on
how to resolve – see what our
experts say:
The Slab next to the kitchen (see
pic) and most probably the
compartment next to it retains
water which then percolates into
the kitchen – see next pic – that
entire wooden section had rotted
due to seepage and we had to
replace at our cost – while Lavasa
admitted liability, they never got
around to doing it (citing lack of
resources)

10. KITCHEN CABINET
INSIÐE PANEL ROTTED
DUE TO SEEPAGE
KITCHEN CABINET PANEL
AND DOOR REPLACED AT
OUR COST. LAVASA HAD
ADMITTTED LIABILITY
BUT NEVER FIXED CITING
LACK OF RESOURCES

11. Major seepage at top
of guest bedroom
Reported since hand over
– rectification promised
every year “after
monsoons are over”
See pic – in reality much
worse than pic
For solution go to next
page

12. Cause is clear
Water collects here
during rains and then
percolates up the side
walls (see black marks)
SOLUTION: COVER AREA
and ensure proper slope
so that water does not
enter area

13. Only Difficult problem
Is where the sloping roof
meets the horizontal
beam
Solution: One would have
to re-do the
waterproofing at the
appropriate place on the
roof - see next page

14. Pic of area to be fixed
Little complicated but
HAS to be done for
probably all Portofino
Roofs. (seems OK on the
face of it, therefore
suggest fix other leakage
sources first and then
investigate further)

15. Not necessarily related to seepage -
• Crack on west wall right across
the guest bedroom
• HAS TO BE FIXED ASAP
(complaint since over 3 years)

16. General observation
for all slabs
See pic alongside – this is
the state of most slabs.
The surface was either
not finished to start with
or the finishing has
eroded. In either case the
finish has to be done and
it must be ensured that
rain water flows AWAY
from the walls.

17. CONCLUSIONS
• THE CAUSES APPEAR TO BE TYPICAL OF TOP FLOOR APARTMENTS
FACING THE WATER BODY
• REASONS FOR LEAKAGE ARE FAIRLY EVIDENT AND RELATIVELY EASY
TO FIX
• THERE CAN BE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR EXCUSE OR DELAY
• SORRY TO HAVE TO SAY THIS: MORE THAN INADEQUATE
KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF COMMITMENT AND
POSSIBLY A SENSE OF APATHY HAS SET IN
THIS HAS TO BE CORRECTED