Panicky Amdavadis flock to Gandhinagar, lift the flagging real estate business

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While there were nearly 800 casualties in Ahmedabad and the loss to property was extensive, Gandhinagar which has few high-rises, escaped relatively unscathed with hardly any loss to life or property.

Most estate agents point out that there is a sudden exodus from Ahmedabad now, and that real estate in Gandhinagar is suddenly much in demand. "Real estate business in Gandhinagar was always very slow. A house would be up in the market for months. But in the last five-six days, the demand has shot up. Today, there aren’t any houses available, either for sale or for rent," says Raju Patadia, an estate agent in Gandhinagar.

"Staying in a high-rise in Ahmedabad doesn’t seem like a safe preposition anymore. Tremors have been consistently occuring since the earthquake, some measuring upto 5 on the richter scale," says Ms Geeta Pillai, a marketing executive. The building where she resided in Shastrinagar suffered some damage due to which her family was forced to move out.

Though she has been desperately hunting for a bungalow in Gandhinagar, her efforts have proved futile. "I always thought Gandhinagar was not a good place to settle down. I work in Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar was too far and inconvenient. Now, I think it is the best — and safest — option for me," says Ms Pillai. Like many others, for her the 35-km distance which was so insurmountable earlier has shrunk in the face of the tragedy that has befallen Ahmedabad.

Pre-earthquake, the capital, though it offered a greener and a relatively pollution free environment was rarely considered a good place to reside in – it was mainly inhabited by Government servants and pensioners. Even those who had their offices in Gandhinagar preferred to set up house in Ahmedabad because Gandhinagar is poorly linked by rail, has few amusement centres or shopping plazas and is generally considered an unexciting city by most young people.

The earthquake has changed the equation. For people who cannot shift to another city because work ties them down to Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar has become a viable and attractive alternative. Says Mr Nandu Patel, an estate agent based in Gandhinagar, "Since the earthquake, I have been getting get at least 40 enquiries everyday from people looking for accommodation.”

Though many feel the migration is a temporary phase and that people will eventually move back to Ahmedabad, Mr A Jain, for one, says he is looking for a permanent residence. He has asked his real estate agent to look for industrial premises for his electronics business. Once the business settles down, he will shift residence to Gandhinagar.

So will Mr Vineet Sharma, once he has found a suitable house in the capital. But Mr Sharma might not be able to find his safe haven, for as his agents point out, only a miracle will help him find a house in Gandhinagar.