Ctrl + Alt + DELhi: Why many are bidding adieu to Capital; health concerns drive relocations

NEW DELHI: For Ketan Sharma, Delhi was more than just home. It was where he was born, grew up and built his life. The familiar lanes of Malviya Nagar held fond memories of childhood games, college hangouts and cosy family evenings on the terrace. But a few years ago, Sharma did something he had never imagined. He sold the house he grew up in and left the city for good.

He took the decision after his daughter was born and his parents began struggling with age-related ailments. "It just didn't feel right breathing the toxic air," he says. So, packing up decades of memories, Sharma, along with his wife, child and elderly parents, moved to Bengaluru, chasing cleaner air and clearer skies.



Many Delhiites now relate to Sharma's story. A viral social media post this week struck a chord across the country. A professional revealed how his spouse, unable to bear Delhi's choking smog and worried about their child's health, quit a prestigious govt job and moved on.

The post sparked a collective sense of frustration and fear over Delhi's worsening pollution crisis. With the city's air quality hovering in the very poor range for the past few weeks, pollution is no longer a seasonal inconvenience or an abstract policy issue; it's shaping life choices. From families making winter-escape plans to others permanently relocating, the foul air is driving an exodus of those who can afford to leave the city.

"I didn't realise the intensity of the problem till my parents started falling sick at the onset of winter every year," Sharma says. "Having lived in Delhi all my life, I probably adapted. But as my parents aged, I could see how the foul air was taking a toll on them. Once my child was born, I was sure we had to leave. I found a job in Bengaluru, and we sold our Delhi house and bought one in Bengaluru. I don't see any reason to move back."

For Danish, a Delhi University student, leaving the city isn't a matter of luxury, but offers a fleeting escape. "Since my mother moved here two years ago, her health has deteriorated because of the pollution. The situation is so bad that as soon as I finish my studies, I plan to move somewhere else. Last year, I took a short break and went back to Ayodhya, my home town, in Nov. I plan to do the same now. This will perhaps be my last year in this city."

Others, like Vitasta, a schoolteacher, continue to endure. "My mother has a heart condition and relies on a pacemaker. Doctors have strongly recommended that we keep an air purifier running at home at all times. She can't do without it even for a minute," she says. "The situation is affecting our entire family. Yesterday, I was telling my relatives that a time may come when people will have no choice but to leave this city. As a teacher, even when students attend online classes, I still have to go to school. But it's becoming unbearable."

A few have found other solutions. Professionals now time their work trips or remote assignments to coincide with Delhi's worst months. "My projects often take me abroad, so I plan them around the pollution season," says Rajiv Soni, who is currently in Slovakia's Bratislava. "I can't quit Delhi as my base, but I try to stay away during these months."

Others head to hill towns like Ranikhet, Mussoorie, Chail or Kasauli, where service apartments offer short-term refuge.

But not everyone can simply pack up and go. As one user on X pointed out, "While many respect the couple's decision to leave, not everyone has that privilege. Most people can't just quit and move. We need competent govt officials to make policy changes. Running away is easy — fixing (the pollution problem) is hard."