Noida resident flags 'luxury chawl' reality of high-rise societies over lift woes
A Noida resident posted a viral video showing how high-rise living in Delhi-NCR can qualify as a luxury 'chawl' setup.
A resident in Noida has gone viral after calling out what he describes as the “hidden reality” of luxury high-rise living, where even something as basic as using a lift can turn into a daily ordeal.
In a video shared on Instagram, the man documented life inside his housing society, where a single tower houses approximately over a hundred flats and hundreds of residents. Despite the large number of people, the building relies on just two lifts, and only one runs at a time. The result? Long, slow-moving queues, with residents waiting their turn just to go up or down.
Visibly frustrated, he questioned the idea of “luxury” often associated with such apartments and called the societies chawls. “One tower. 175 flats. Only 2 lifts,” he said, pointing out how the system works in shifts, with one lift operating for hours before the other takes over. For him, this setup defeats the very promise of convenience that high-rise living claims to offer.
He also compared the experience to tightly packed housing setups, arguing that while older residential systems struggled with basic amenities like water access, modern buildings are now dealing with bottlenecks of a different kind. “We’ve just replaced one line with another,” he remarks.
Watch the video here:
The video has since gained significant traction online, drawing responses from users who say the issue is far more common than it appears. Many shared their own experiences of overcrowded towers, limited lifts, and long waiting times in residential complexes across Delhi-NCR.
Some viewers pointed out that rapid construction and cost optimisation often come at the expense of practical infrastructure. Others said the clip perfectly captures the gap between what is marketed and what residents actually experience.
As more people relate to the video, it has sparked a broader discussion on whether high-rise living in urban India is truly as comfortable as it is made out to be, or simply a vertical version of congestion.
A resident in Noida has gone viral after calling out what he describes as the “hidden reality” of luxury high-rise living, where even something as basic as using a lift can turn into a daily ordeal.
In a video shared on Instagram, the man documented life inside his housing society, where a single tower houses approximately over a hundred flats and hundreds of residents. Despite the large number of people, the building relies on just two lifts, and only one runs at a time. The result? Long, slow-moving queues, with residents waiting their turn just to go up or down.
Visibly frustrated, he questioned the idea of “luxury” often associated with such apartments and called the societies chawls. “One tower. 175 flats. Only 2 lifts,” he said, pointing out how the system works in shifts, with one lift operating for hours before the other takes over. For him, this setup defeats the very promise of convenience that high-rise living claims to offer.
He also compared the experience to tightly packed housing setups, arguing that while older residential systems struggled with basic amenities like water access, modern buildings are now dealing with bottlenecks of a different kind. “We’ve just replaced one line with another,” he remarks.
Watch the video here:
The video has since gained significant traction online, drawing responses from users who say the issue is far more common than it appears. Many shared their own experiences of overcrowded towers, limited lifts, and long waiting times in residential complexes across Delhi-NCR.
Some viewers pointed out that rapid construction and cost optimisation often come at the expense of practical infrastructure. Others said the clip perfectly captures the gap between what is marketed and what residents actually experience.
As more people relate to the video, it has sparked a broader discussion on whether high-rise living in urban India is truly as comfortable as it is made out to be, or simply a vertical version of congestion.
