India, May 29 -- For some years now, Goa has been reeling under an influx of settlers who found Indian metros unlivable and now work in the gig economy or are retired. While this trend picked up post-2000, the trickle intensified into a flood after the pandemic, leading to a surge in the cost of living for locals including housing costs and other social and economic repercussions that are still being dealt with.

A similar reverse migration to Uttarakhand and, to a smaller extent, Himachal Pradesh was seen in the last decade, with the former seeing a bigger influx as land ownership rules there are more flexible than the latter. While these states are learning to live with this influx, the factors driving people out from cities remain unch...