Monsoon Rain Angst against Owners of Real Estate in Gurgaon

As Gurgaon matures as a residential destination, those who own real estate in Gurgaon shall desire civic amenities which are taken for granted by residents of cities in the developed world. As the recent monsoon rains have proven, the state of the physical infrastructure in Gurgaon is woefully inadequate to the demands placed upon it. At a time when there are widely held talks regarding the creation of smart cities, basic civic amenities are crumbling. Those who live in residential projects in Gurgaon  likely work with and at some of the best and most creative individuals in their industry, however they drive to    Monsoon Rain Angst against Owners of Real Estate in Gurgaon work on some the most dilapidated roads in the country if not in the world. A city which is unable to provide clean and well maintained roads equipped to adequately remove water after a heavy downpour has little right to proclaim itself as a city of the future. Even as some of the real estate in Gurgaon tends to be among the most expensive and luxurious in the world, the appeal of owning property in Gurgaon is made dimmer by the quality of its roads.

Many residents of Gurgaon who have paid handsomely to live in some of the best luxury apartments in Gurgaon found themselves stuck in traffic while driving or being driven in their luxury car. A car which likely cost upwards of forty lakhs was rendered immobile by waterlogged streets which could have an effective drainage system for a fraction of the combined cost of all the luxury cars in the NCR suburb.  As the builders in Gurgaon tout themselves as the best in the country and launch new projects in Gurgaon with great pomp and celebration, however the same builders however turn a blind eye to remarking upon the crumbling infrastructure in the city when advertising the sale of their properties. 

In a city which has offices occupied by big global brands such Microsoft, Google and BMW, the quality of the roads it seems is not better than those found in Zaire or Kenya. For Gurgaon to be seriously considered a global innovation hub, high quality roads are certainly a prerequisite. The next step taken by the government will most likely be to repair some sections of the road in a hesitant manner with little thought given to the impact of the next monsoon and the subsequent further eroding of the city’s streets. The wait and watch mentality of the civic authorities may over time continue to erode the high equity Gurgaon has garnered over the past decades and which leads to new projects in Gurgaon to be considered excellent investment vehicles.

Callous attitudes by civic authorities are likely to damage the sentiments of those who regard owning apartments in Gurgaon a great investment for the future. Furthermore as is well known among top bureaucrats, Gurgaon may face an acute water shortage within a decade or two, rather than have water remain stagnant on the streets efforts directed towards rain water harvesting may be required to ensure that a low ground water table does not bring the Gurgaon growth story to an abrupt end.