The daily haze, the headaches, the itchy eyes, the cough that refuses to go – ask someone staying in Delhi and it’s likely they are reeling under more than one of these irritants on a daily basis.
There have been some protests but not much meaningful change in the toxic air that’s become synonymous with Delhi winters.
In this daily AQI hellscape, Goseeko.com spoke to a few residents of the capital to understand how air pollution affects their everyday lives. We spoke to five people—some residents of South Park Apartment, Kalkaji, Delhi and some who work there: Prem Asija, retired IT professional (75); Uma Sengupta, retired school teacher (61); Robindra Nayak, cook (45); Sarthi Kar, house maid (40); and Lalan Kumar Pandey, security guard (48).
The common refrain from all of them was clear: air pollution is a harsh and unavoidable reality that needs urgent redress. Each of them experiences its impact in different ways.
Even those who are retired are not spared. Prem Asija, a retired IT professional, goes for morning walks but is constantly caught in a dilemma—whether to walk, wear a mask, or stay indoors altogether. The air irritates his eyes and throat, making even basic exercise risky.
For those who work outdoors or commute daily, pollution is a constant companion. Robindra Nayak, Sarthi Kar, and Lalan Kumar Pandey face polluted air every single day while commuting and working. They cannot afford high-quality face masks and therefore step out each morning amid smog and dust. When their eyes burn or throats grow sore, they still have no option but to leave for work.
Taking a day off is not an option. “If we don’t go to work, the government won’t pay us,” they say. Sarthi Kar occasionally uses a cloth to cover her mouth. “The air feels heavy, visibility is less in the morning, and it suddenly becomes dark, like it will rain—but it doesn’t,” she explains.
Though Sarthi has an air purifier at home—gifted by a good Samaritan—she rarely benefits from it as she goes from house to house for work all day. Her children use it at home.
Prem Asija believes air purifiers are a practical short-term solution. “Just like poverty, pollution can’t be reduced overnight,” he says. “If the government supplies air purifiers in bulk at subsidised rates, good-quality purifiers consuming only 20 watts of electricity could be made available for around Rs 5,000. People will buy them easily, and they will help protect themselves indoors. Even if pollution reduces later, the cost would still be justified.”
There is also a growing realism among Delhi’s residents: this crisis will not disappear quickly. Prem Asija believes it may take 10 to 15 years for meaningful improvement.
Those who can stay indoors are relatively safer. Uma Sengupta, a retired school teacher, now spends most of her time at home. “At present, I am less affected because I stay indoors,” she says. Yet her assessment is blunt: pollution is worse than last year and the year before.
She points to multiple causes—stubble burning, vehicular growth, industrial emissions, construction dust, shrinking green cover, firecrackers, and stagnant winter winds—as major contributors.
Both Uma Sengupta and Prem Asija agree that technical fixes like artificial rain have failed, and therefore public protection must continue alongside government action.
For Lalan Kumar Pandey, who stands outdoors for long hours as a security guard, pollution is impossible to escape. “The air feels heavy. Visibility is low. Everything looks blurry. Eyes burn,” he says. Seasonal illness has become routine. His appeal to the government is simple: reduce petrol and diesel vehicles, and use water sprinklers to control dust.
Across professions, ages, and incomes, the voices converge on one truth:
Delhi’s air pollution is no longer an occasional problem—it is a full-blown public health emergency that demands urgent government action.
Uma Sengupta believes that along with policy changes, effective solutions will require coordination between the government, industries, farmers, and the public. “Awareness, responsibility, sustainable practices, and strong enforcement together can definitely improve the air quality,” she says.