Impact of Higher FAR on Residents and Property in Gurgaon

The increase in the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) upon property in Gurgaon will lead to the creation of a larger number of units within the same area, however by crowding more and more of humanity in a smaller and smaller area, Gurgaon will become overcrowded and resources will become scarcer.

Advantages of a Higher FAR

An increased FAR means that more homes can be built on the same amount of land, this will lead to falling prices for housing units and lead to more affordable housing for more segments of society. Considering that nearly all 3 BHK flats in Gurgaon now cost upwards of one crore rupees, lower priced homes would make the city far more inhabitable for middle income and even lower income segments of society.

Learning From the Past

Last year Gurgaon suffered due to waterlogging brought about by a large amount of rainfall, with a larger mass of humanity in Gurgaon, the already poor physical infrastructure in Gurgaon will be tested further. Those who live in real estate in Gurgaon can vouch for the extreme distress faced by residents last year because of the monsoon rains which made Gurgaon’s roads difficult to navigate. If more people begin vying for the same limited infrastructure, later monsoons may inflict even more chaos on Gurgaon’s roads and arteries.

On the Positive Side

An advantage for builders in Gurgaon due to a higher FAR will obviously be the ability to build more on the same piece of land and hence earn greater revenues on every project. Additionally luxury projects in Gurgaon will become even more lucrative for the cities developers at the same time as such units become more affordable for buyers.

Gurgaon is a hotspot for employment and many commute daily from across the city to work here. However such commutes to and fro work may take up to three hours per day as living in Gurgaon is often not feasible for the common man. A higher FAR will lead to lower prices for apartments in Gurgaon and open up the cities real estate market to more segments of society.

The Downside of a Higher FAR

Not only would a higher FAR lead to more pressure on Gurgaon’s inadequate physical infrastructure, it would also lead to greater demand for power and other utilities which would have to be provided for more homes on a smaller area of land. A higher FAR and more apartments in Gurgaon would also lead to more environmental degradation and increase the impact of pollution.