An entrepreneur couple living in Bengaluru for two years has decided to leave the southern Indian city owing to the worsening air quality that has taken a toll on their health. In a viral Instagram video, the couple opened up about the factors leading to the decision, which invited mixed responses from social media users.
"You might hate use but Bangalore is slowly killing us and no one sees it coming," the couple, identifying themselves as 27-year-olds "working in corporate", prefaced the video.
The couple, Aswin and Aparna, said they were running a business in the city, but the pollution, despite many people swearing by the city's weather, had troubled their health.
"People say Bangalore has fresh air and great weather, but does it really?" Aparna questioned in the video, adding that in February, the Air Quality Index (AQI) showed a shocking figure of 297, which is categorised as "very unhealthy", bordering on "hazardous."
"If we had known this sooner, we might've left Bangalore earlier. We loved the vibe. The people. The food. But we didn't know what we were breathing every day," the couple said.
"Namma Bengaluru is amazing. Even to start a business, it's the best place to be but we had to make this choice as soon as possible. Before the city could sink us in, we left Bangalore."
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Social media reacts
As of the last update, the video had received thousands of likes and nearly one million views. A section of users, particularly the locals, slammed the couple for the video, while others shared their sentiment.
"Thank you for speaking the truth...after facing the same problem as yours, combined with terrible headaches...I moved out of that place after 3 years....now...really really happy and healthy," said one user, while another added: "Actually Bengalurians are very happy with your decision. Please inspire more people."
A third commented: "People are only hating on you but what you're saying is 100 per cent right."
"We should all own the city and fight for better air & infrastructure, rather than fighting over north & south divide!" a fourth said.
