I Left Delhi To Protect My Family From Chronic Pollution Sickness

Moving away from Delhi due to the pollution was one of the hardest decisions we made as a family, but it has been deeply reassuring, especially for our health. My husband, daughter, and I left Delhi-NCR in October 2022, with pollution being a primary reason for our move to Bangalore. For years, the smog during Delhi's cooler months caused severe discomfort. Even though I don’t have any major lung issues, I would cough continuously from October through January each year, struggling to breathe easily.

The move wasn’t easy because my parents are still in Delhi, and I had spent the past four years living close to them. I’d lived in Delhi for 18 years, and until 2014, air pollution was never an overwhelming concern. I could commute, work, and live there without serious issues. But around 2015, air pollution turned into an unavoidable problem. During the fall of 2016, my job required me to commute from Delhi to Noida each day, often returning home around 6:30 PM. That October, I came down with bronchitis, which took a month to heal. After that, every October would trigger another round of respiratory issues, and it only became more severe as time went on.

The period around my daughter’s birth was particularly challenging. She was born in February, and in the months leading up to it, I had a persistent cough, which was stressful both physically and mentally. I realized then that the rising pollution wasn’t just something I could ignore. The smog was more than just vehicle and construction pollution. It was also due to crop stubble burning in the neighboring states of Haryana and Punjab. Farmers there burn the leftover rice stubble in October due to crop cycle constraints. With limited time between harvesting rice and planting wheat, burning became a quick way to clear the fields. The smoke drifts over to Delhi, adding to the city's already high pollution levels.

This seasonal smog crisis, fueled by stubble-burning, worsens with other factors like heavy traffic, constant construction, and even firecrackers during festivals. These are temporary triggers, but the larger issue of persistent, multi-source pollution remains unaddressed. As much as I loved Delhi’s vibrant city life, its weather didn’t help either. Summers were too hot, and the monsoons brought intense humidity. Winters were the only time to really enjoy the outdoors, but with the smog from October onward, even that was limited. As someone who loves spending time outside, it became tough to be cooped up indoors for much of the year with only air purifiers to help.

In 2022, my husband and I decided it was time to give our daughter a healthier environment to grow up in. We wanted her to have a childhood without the constant stress of pollution. Moving away from Delhi was a difficult choice, but we felt it was necessary. We also realized it was easier to relocate while we were still young and had a small family. Leaving a place we had called home for so long felt bittersweet, but we knew it was the right choice for our family.

Some might argue that Bangalore, like any city, has its own problems with traffic and pollution. However, compared to Delhi, the air quality is significantly better. Bangalore's Air Quality Index (AQI) generally remains in the green zone, which indicates healthier air most of the year. Since moving, I haven’t experienced the same coughing fits that plagued me in Delhi. This reassures me that we made the right decision for our health and well-being.

With time, I’ve been encouraging my parents to consider relocating to the south. Given their age, the pollution in Delhi poses health risks for them too. While it’s not an easy thing to ask someone to leave their home, I feel they could enjoy a better quality of life in a less polluted environment. I know this issue is sensitive, especially for those who are still living in Delhi, but the reality is that solving Delhi's pollution crisis would take a massive, coordinated effort from multiple state governments. Unfortunately, such an effort doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.