NEW DELHI: Severe air pollution continued to choke Delhi-NCR this winter, with the region once again recording hazardous air quality levels that left residents struggling to breathe.
As the toxic air lingered, many people grew increasingly anxious about their health and future, with discussions about moving to other cities becoming more common.
A viral social media video has brought fresh attention to the crisis.
A woman from Delhi, currently living in Bengaluru, compared the capital’s pollution levels with those in the southern city and described Delhi as a “gas chamber”.
In the video, she expressed deep concern for her parents’ health and said she was willing to make financial sacrifices to move them out of Delhi.
"I will go into debt. But I want to move my parents out of here," she wrote as the caption of the video.
The post struck a strong emotional chord and quickly gained traction online, drawing more than 4,000 likes and widespread discussion.
"I am ready to go into debt and ruin my financial health, but I want to move my parents out of Delhi. I had been living in Bengaluru for the past 60 days and now I am visiting my parents in Delhi, this gas chamber called Delhi, and the moment I landed, I couldn't stop coughing. The person with me was like, are you okay, do you need water," she said in the video.
"I am now willing to go into debt and move my parents out of this gas chamber. There is nothing more embarrassing than living in a city where you cough right after landing. I also realised how important it is to earn money, because unless you have that, you are really going to struggle even for your breath."
On Monday, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 427, a slight improvement from Sunday’s severe-plus reading of 461. However, the marginal change offered little real relief, as pollution levels remained firmly in the ‘severe’ category.
Weather conditions worsened the situation. The season’s first major fog episode, along with cold temperatures and calm winds, prevented pollutants from dispersing. Of the city’s 39 air quality monitoring stations, 28 recorded ‘severe’ air quality, compared with 38 stations a day earlier. Peak pollution levels, particularly during the morning hours, remained largely unchanged.
The video also sparked a wave of reactions from nitizens, many sharing anger, frustration and a sense of helplessness.
Social media reactions "Get ready to buy oxygen", a user wrote in the comment section.
Another commented, "We live in Delhi, just imagine what we are going through".
"Bro not just air. Food water, everything is adulterated/polluted," another said.
The growing online response reflects rising public distress as Delhi heads deeper into another winter marked by dangerous air and limited relief.
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