New Delhi: Noida scored a win over rival Gurugram this week — not on a sports field, but in the hearts and minds of residents who keep comparing the two cities. In Noida, traffic zipped by, people went on long drives, and trees glistened. In Gurugram, daily life screeched to a halt under endless jams and waterlogging brought by heavy rains. The ‘floods versus no floods’ contrast has cast Noida as the new poster boy for urban planning.
“Public perception is now changing. People are able to see that Noida’s infrastructure is far better than Gurugram’s,” said Payal Khurana, vice president of Grand Ajnara Heritage society’s RWA in Sector 74. “We saw on television how cars were floating in Gurugram, while in Noida, we didn’t face any such situation.”
Noida is finally basking in long-overdue recognition. As Gurugram reeled under heavy rains and waterlogging, Noida emerged on social media as the better-planned city—with its wider roads, smoother traffic, and robust drainage system. The Noida Vs Gurugram rivalry is playing out online, with Noida residents thumbing their noses while many in Gurugram concede that the grass is, indeed, greener on the other side.
Noida has long been snubbed by the cultural smugness of Gurugram. While the poster city of Haryana has always been branded as a city of elites and socialites, with its upscale Camellias, Cyber City, and golf course. Noida, on the other hand, was relegated to the role of a poorer cousin, with a migrant working–class population and the brash culture of its natives, mostly Gujjars.
But now, Noida is having its moment. Residents are poking fun at Gurugram for drowning in the rains, posting photos of Noida’s wide roads where traffic flows smoothly and videos romanticising the downpour with Bollywood love songs. One viral clip on Instagram took the jibe further, asking Gurugram residents to settle in Noida. The caption read, “Gurgaon walon… ab toh Noida aajao.”
But there are critiques too. Noida did witness waterlogging, though in fewer pockets compared to Gurugram, and not as intense. Some residents argue that behind the rosy picture of Noida painted on social media lie new potholes and flooded areas.
Amid this, the Noida Authority is having the last laugh.
“We have received good public response. The administration, along with Noida Authority, has given its best shot to make the city better. Our flood relief [work] started well in advance. We also have a special water drainage department that is implementing a master drainage plan,” said Gautam Buddh Nagar DM, Medha Roopam.
‘Noida, meri jaan’
Somya Pal, a content creator on Instagram, opens her video with a question: “Do you know that Noida and Gurugram were planned at the same time in 1975? But why is it that when it rains, Gurugram is submerged and Noida is saved?” Her video has drawn over 4,000 views and over a dozen comments.
Urban architects say the difference lies in how the two cities were built. Professor Anil Dewan, former head of the architecture department at SPA Delhi, explained that Gurugram’s rapid expansion was driven by private builders who prioritised glossy high-rises and commercial hubs over basic infrastructure.
“Noida is a well-planned city. Drainage, transport, and circulation systems were planned first. In Gurugram, the buildings came first and the planning later. The reason is that Gurugram is run by builders such as DLF and others, unlike Noida, where authorities are overseeing the city,” said Dewan.
Another Instagram video shows a woman flaunting a panoramic view of Noida during the rainfall. She laments how she had to brave long jams and waterlogged roads in Gurugram to reach her home in Noida.
“After battling Gurgaon’s traffic, rain, and chaos all day, coming back to Noida feels like pure bliss. Noida, meri jaan,” the caption reads.
A large section of Gurugram’s workforce lives in Noida because of affordable real estate rates for the middle class.
But Noida also witnessed floods in some low–lying areas and villages. Farmhouses and villages in Sectors 128 and 155 were submerged after Yamuna water breached its limits and entered inhabited areas.
“I don’t think Noida is that well-planned. It might look good in comparison to Gurugram, but the Film City area is flooded and new potholes have opened up,” said comedian Saloni Gaur, who hails from Noida.
DM Roopam, too, admitted that the infrastructure is not foolproof.
“In the last three days, we have rescued over 2,500 people in low-lying areas and have provided them with ration, dry fruits and medicine kits,” Roopam said.
Also read: Floods bring out the Great Gurugram Divide. Old city calls out ‘stepmotherly treatment’
A real estate war in the making
For real estate developers, this new image of Noida is a business opportunity, which is going to benefit both builders and brokers.
For the past three days, Nirmal Garg, a real estate developer in Noida, has been glued to news reports of Gurugram’s interminable traffic jams and waterlogged roads. He remembers the headlines by heart: “Noida passes, Gurugram fails.” His phone is full of screenshots of them. Even his WhatsApp group of brokers and builders can’t keep quiet. It’s buzzing with new business pitches: “Gurugram is no longer a place to live. Noida is your safe haven.” The pitches feature side-by-side pictures of Gurugram’s waterlogged roads and Noida’s wide, glistening streets.
“Until roads, sewer, and drainage are laid out, the Noida Authority doesn’t give builders permission to construct. This is the kind of planning the city has witnessed,” Garg explained.
Real estate builders are making the most of this opportunity. Instagram is flooded with memes and videos banking on the Gurguram-Noida rivalry. One real estate account, Noida Real Estate, posted a video of a drive during the rainfall with the caption: “Rainy bliss in Noida, Traffic Stress in Gurgaon – the choice is clear. That’s why I am saying Habibi come to Noida.”
Garg is confident that Noida’s real estate prices will soon shoot up. He listed three reasons: the airport, law and order, and drainage infrastructure.
“Gurugram became popular because of its accessibility to Delhi airport and its law and order. Noida now has the Jewar airport coming up. Yogi ji (CM Adityanath) has tightened the noose around law and order. And the authorities’ well-planned infrastructure has sealed the deal for the city,” said Garg, who develops group housing societies, with a laugh.
“In two years, you will see Noida crossing Gurugram’s real estate prices,” he added with a smirk.
(Edited by Prashant)