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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Why India's Hills Are Full of Houses Nobody Lives In: Second Home Crisis Explained
While tourism brings jobs, real estate inflation pushes locals out, especially young adults. This has resulted in cultural erosion, increase in waste and uneven development of land It started during the pandemic: as cities shut down and the air was heavy with uncertainty. Thousands of urban Indians particularly the well-off, NRIs, and tech professionals began eyeing hill stations not just for a vacation, but for permanent escape. 'Work-from-mountains" became the new 'work-from-home." But by 2024–25, something strange happened. The hills didn't get more lived-in, they got emptier. And in villages where most people can't afford real estate, plots now carry price tags that rival metros. So why are these homes being built if no one's really moving in? The second-home trend in hill towns exploded post-2020, fueled by: But in most cases, these homes are only occupied for 10–30 days a year, if at all. The rest of the time? They sit locked, maintained by caretakers, slowly turning villages into patchworks of ghost homes. Where It's Happening Uttarakhand (Mussoorie, Mukteshwar, Ranikhet) Land prices have tripled in places like Mukteshwar since 2019. In Almora, locals report that 'out-of-towners" own nearly 40% of new construction, yet these houses remain empty most of the year. The impact of this is shrinking rental options for locals, groundwater strain, and rising resentment. Himachal Pradesh (Manali, Dharamshala, Jibhi) The Himachal government has been grappling with land-sale rules, especially around non-Himachalis buying property. While there are legal limits, workarounds via long leases and company names have made second-home investments surge. Because of this, entire villages near Jibhi now host Instagrammable stays but no school-age children which is a serious demographic drain. Coorg and Chikkmagaluru (Karnataka) Coffee estate owners and wealthy Bengaluru families are buying up heritage properties and turning them into second homes or boutique stays. Many locals, however, are being priced out of ancestral lands. This has resulted in cultural erosion, increase in waste, and uneven development of the land. Ooty and Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu) NRI Tamil families and Chennai investors are pushing prices into crores. Old British cottages are being razed for modern second homes. This has led to pressure on hill ecology, waste disposal issues, and local youth migrating out due to affordability gaps. Climate + Infrastructure: Cracks in the Mountain Dream In parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal, there's a growing rift. While tourism brings jobs, real estate inflation pushes locals out, especially young adults. Small hoteliers can't afford to expand. Teachers and government workers can't rent in the places they serve. What used to be community-driven hamlets are now becoming locked gates, seasonal lights, and empty windows. Solutions? Or Stalemate? Some hill states are starting to push back: Himachal has laws limiting land purchase by outsiders, but loopholes exist. Sikkim and Arunachal restrict land sales to non-residents completely. Eco-sensitive zoning has been proposed in some districts, but enforcement remains patchy. When a Home Isn't Really a Home The rise of second homes in India's hill stations reflects aspiration, but also alienation. For many buyers, it's about escape. But for the people who live there year-round, it's becoming harder to stay. And in places where the air is pure but the homes stand hollow, we're left asking: Who are the hills really being built for? tags : At Home explained Homestays Ooty Shimla view comments Location : Bengaluru, India, India First Published: July 25, 2025, 15:48 IST News explainers Why India's Hills Are Full of Houses Nobody Lives In: Second Home Crisis Explained Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks ahead of EU trade deal
US President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrived in Scotland on Friday for some golf and bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European told reporters upon his arrival that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a "highly respected woman."advertisementAs hundreds of onlookers cheered his arrival, Trump repeated his earlier comment about a 50-50 chance of securing a deal with the EU, adding it would be his administration's biggest trade agreement thus far, if it came together. However, he said there were still "sticking points" with Brussels on "maybe 20 different things."Trump said his meeting with Starmer would be more of a celebration of the trade deal already reached than continued work on it, adding, "It's a great deal for both."Before he left Washington, Trump said his administration was working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, and Brussels was keen to make a deal. Von der Leyen said later she would meet Trump in Scotland on diplomats say a deal could result in a 15% tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework accord with Japan reached this week and half of the 30% Trump is threatening to impose by August has sought to reorder the global economy after imposing a 10% tariff on nearly all trading partners in April and threatening sharply higher rates for many countries to kick in a week from now. Trump says the moves will reduce the US trade deficit and bring in extra revenue, but economists warn the new trade policies could drive up inflation.'DON'T TALK ABOUT TRUMP'Trump, facing the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term, expressed frustration about ongoing questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison."You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump told reporters in Scotland, urging them to focus on other prominent Americans with ties to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton."Talk about Clinton. Talk about the former president of Harvard. Talk about all of his friends. Talk about the hedge fund guys that were with him all the time. Don't talk about Trump," he said. "What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency."The Epstein issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos House officials are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, two people familiar with the matter TIESTrump will stay at his Turnberry property on Scotland's west coast this weekend, before traveling on Monday to a golf property in Aberdeen, where he will open a second 18-hole course named in honor of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. MacLeod was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the USAs he left the White House, Trump said he looked forward to meeting both Starmer and Scottish leader John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential trip gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm ties, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia's war in Ukraine, British and U.S. sources deteriorating situation in Gaza is also likely to arise. Starmer on Thursday said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over what he called the "unspeakable and indefensible" suffering and starvation being reported there, and called on Israel to allow aid to enter the Palestinian health authorities say more than 100 people have died from starvation, most in recent weeks. Human rights groups have said mass starvation is spreading even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the being elected last year, Starmer has prioritized good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain's defense and security alliance with the US, while working to clinch the first tariff-reduction deal with the US in framework agreement reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK's aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in is expected to press for lower steel tariffs, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough was possible during Trump's has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his earlier run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm 70% of Scots have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while 18% have a favorable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March police are girding for protests on Saturday in both Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, the country's will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Trump Birthright Order Blocked Again in Fresh Legal Setback
President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship was blocked nationwide for the third time in less than a month, the latest sign that a US Supreme Court decision restricting 'universal injunctions' is having little impact on the dispute. The injunctions set up what is likely to be yet another set of appeals that could reach the Supreme Court, which has largely backed Trump in his broad crackdown on immigration. The justices haven't yet taken up the question of whether Trump's birthright citizenship order is constitutional. A federal judge in Boston ruled on Friday that an injunction pausing Trump's order nationwide is the only way to offer full protection to the Democratic-led states the filed the suit. The judge said his actions are in line with the Supreme Court's findings. US Judge Leo Sorokin said in his ruling that he could not narrow his injunction in part because Justice Department lawyers hadn't offered useful details about how such a ruling would work. 'With stakes this high, the court simply cannot adopt the defendants' blasé approach to the details and workability of a more limited injunction,' the judge said. A nationwide injunction protecting all affected babies was granted in a class-action suit in New Hampshire on July 10, while a federal appeals court this week upheld a similar block in a suit brought by four Democratic-led states. The new ruling comes in a suit brought by 18 states. A judge in a separate class-action suit is weighing another potential injunction. The Fight Over Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order: QuickTake Trump's order would restrict citizenship to babies with at least one parent who is a US citizen or green card holder. Critics say it violates a provision of the Constitution that grants citizenship to virtually every baby born in the US. The government says the directive closes a loophole that encourages illegal immigration. Trump's order was initially put on hold nationwide months ago in three separate cases. But the Supreme Court on June 27 paused those orders after ruling that judges generally can't issue nationwide injunctions that block federal policies outright. The justices returned the cases to the lower courts to weigh whether their injunctions needed to be narrowed or amended so that they provide relief only to the people or groups that sued. Sorokin held a hearing on the matter earlier this week. The Supreme Court's opinion, hailed as a major victory by the Trump administration, hasn't stopped judges from finding that broad injunctions against the president's birthright citizenship order are still necessary to protect US-born children of migrants while the cases proceed. In their request to maintain a nationwide injunction, the Democratic-led states said the Supreme Court's finding on so-called universal injunctions 'has no bearing on this case.' The states argue that a nationwide injunction is the only way to prevent harm that they say would be caused by allowing the executive order to take effect in some states, creating a chaotic patchwork of citizenship. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
