'I can't imagine my children growing up like this': People leave Delhi-NCR for other cities; here's why

Delhi-NCR has long attracted people looking for better jobs. For some professionals and business owners, this decision is now much more important in everyday life. Pollution, dust and poor infrastructure make them think about other cities. This year, Delhi’s air quality has slipped into the severe category even five days after Diwali.

Aman Raj once spent hours practicing cricket in the nets. As a school student, he played professionally for Bihar. He liked momos and shawarma in Delhi University. Over time, outdoor exercise made him sick, and the dust put him off street food.

Even washing his car in the morning was barely enough to get him through the day. By evening, dust was gathering on his car again. There was a public park just opposite his rented flat in Gurugram. He visited her only once.

Aman told The Indian Express that his throat burned whenever he returned from Ranchi. He was working at American Express at the time and felt he could no longer risk his health. In March, the 30-year-old IT professional took a job in Pune and moved there.

In Gurugram, Neeraj Sancheti, founder of a marketing agency, watched his daughter fall ill frequently. The family visited the pediatrician more often. During the worst months, it was practically her only trip to school. Sancheti and his wife also spent a lot of time in their apartment.

“How can you let your kids smoke cigarettes? I couldn’t imagine my kids growing up in the air like that,” he told the publication.

In 2024, he moved to Siliguri with his family and started running his agency online. Now, according to the Express, he spends time with his wife and children at a nearby stream.

Amit Gupta faced a similar choice when he returned from the United States in March. He had lived in Delhi several times and remembered the constant traffic jams on the Ring Road. Fumes and dust from traffic were part of everyday life.

Construction sites often remained unpaved even after the work was completed. He also felt that it became more difficult to get from public transport to the destination.

“Delhi was not improving, in fact it was getting harder and harder to live here. I felt the city was no longer suitable for us,” Gupta told Express.

Gupta chose Ganganagar in Rajasthan, where his grandfather worked as a teacher. He now lives there with his family, the publication adds.

Academician Kartikeya Batra grew up enjoying Delhi winters full of Ramlilas, festivals and weddings. When he considered a job at a university after his PhD, pollution helped steer him to Bengaluru. He described spending about four months indoors with masks and air purifiers.

Remote work

Telecommuting has allowed some to relocate after the pandemic. Leaving also meant a distance between them and friends, relatives and professional contacts.

Most of Aman’s friends were in Delhi. Some who moved found a lower cost of living. For him, Pune also meant long drives through the green foothills outside the city.