Gurugram Homebuyers Reconsider Amid Rising Pollution and Unsustainable Prices

A growing number of homebuyers are questioning whether purchasing a home in Gurugram still makes sense, with pollution emerging as a key concern alongside affordability and job uncertainty. The debate gained traction after a 30-year-old tech professional wrote in a Reddit post that there was ‘no point buying in a city where, for four months, you choke on the air.’

One Redditor described Gurugram as a city where “four months you die from pollution, two months from rain, and then the torrid sun,” asking whether taking on a ₹1.8 to ₹2.5 crore home loan in such conditions is rational. Several Redditors argued that NCR’s air quality crisis is no longer a secondary concern but a central factor in housing decisions.

“Do yourself a favour and don't buy a property in Gurgaon. NCR pollution is only going to get worse… Majority of people in NCR usually don't care about the toxic air, but the awareness is only going to increase. A lot of people are selling and moving out to cleaner areas, and there's a lot of scepticism about moving to NCR long term,” the Redditor wrote.

Another long-time resident, who said he has lived in Gurugram for 25 years, warned that environmental stress is being underestimated. “There’s no point buying in a city where for four months you choke on the air,” he said, adding that such factors could limit future demand despite today’s headline prices.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage-IV actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect to curb the further worsening of air pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR region. Air quality slipped into the 'severe category on December 14 with a reading of 459, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. As per the CPCB, an Air Quality Index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.

Beyond pollution, Redditors questioned whether Gurugram’s sharp post-COVID price rise is sustainable. Multiple users pointed to new launches quoting around ₹20,000 per sq ft with delivery timelines stretching to 2029–30. “At these rates, you get zero real return unless prices double to ₹40,000 per sq ft, which seems highly unlikely,” one user noted, suggesting buyers wait rather than rush in.

Redditors said that for salaried professionals, taking on a large, long-term home loan in the current market feels risky, given the combination of high prices, income uncertainty, and limited financial flexibility. One of the Redditors said, “Is it just me, or does buying a home in Gurgaon feel irrational now? I’ve been exploring 2–3 BHK options in Gurgaon, but most livable homes are priced between ₹1.8 crore and ₹2.5 crore or more.”

“Even with a sizable down payment, the EMIs work out to ₹95,000 to ₹1.5 lakh a month for nearly 20 years, and that doesn’t feel reasonable anymore.” Questioning the larger trend, the Redditor said that it was unclear whether buyers genuinely have such purchasing power or if “huge home loans have simply become the new normal.”

Another Redditor said, “Do yourself a favour and don’t buy a property in Gurgaon right now,” citing unsustainable price growth, worsening pollution, and the risk of economic slowdown. Earlier this year, Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath had suggested on X that property prices should be linked to air quality. “The higher the AQI, the lower the real estate prices should be,” he wrote, reiterating a proposal he made in November 2024 to introduce ‘property price discounts’ in areas with poor air and water quality as a way to incentivise cleaner development.

However, real estate experts say property values are primarily determined by factors such as land scarcity, infrastructure, connectivity, and demand–supply dynamics, not environmental quality. They note that while the idea of linking prices to pollution is interesting, the market traditionally values qualitative aspects like location and view. Properties overlooking parks, forests, or lakes have long commanded a premium, with developers levying preferential location charges and local authorities sometimes pricing green-facing plots higher.