Bengaluru (Staff Correspondent): Bengaluru is often called the “Silicon Valley of India”, but recently the air of this shining city forced an entrepreneur couple to leave. This young couple named Ashwin and Aparna explained in a viral Instagram video how the city’s deteriorating air quality took a toll on their health and they had to leave after two years.
Aparna says, “We adopted Bengaluru as our home, but we did not know that we were breathing poisonous air every day.”Bengaluru is usually known for its “cool and clean air”, but the couple has questioned this notion. They said that in the month of February, the Air Quality Index (AQI) had reached 297, which falls in the “very unhealthy” category.
Ashwin says in the video, “We were living a happy life, but pollution was silently swallowing our health.” They also added that had they known about the dangers earlier, they would not have started a business here.
Left Bengaluru, but love remained
Ashwin and Aparna made it clear that they loved the city’s people, food and cultural vibe. “Namma Bengaluru is close to the heart,” they said. But with health as a priority, they decided to bid goodbye to the city.
“We had to take this decision quickly – before this city swallows us whole,” Aparna said seriously.
Social media floods with reactions
As soon as the video went viral, reactions from people were divided into two camps – some praised the couple’s courage, while others called it a move that would “tarnish Bengaluru’s image”.
– “I had to leave Bengaluru because of headache and shortness of breath. Completely agree with you,” wrote one user.
– Another quipped, “Please inspire more people too… we are feeling good here!”
– Some people took it as an environmental warning and said, “Now the time has come to pay attention to the infrastructure and environment of cities.”
Why is air pollution becoming a serious issue?
In big cities like Bengaluru, air pollution is continuously increasing due to the rapidly increasing vehicles, construction work and reduction of greenery.
According to experts, pollution can cause respiratory diseases, fatigue and mental stress in the long run – and this was also the complaint of this couple.
What is the way forward?
The story of Ashwin and Aparna is not just a personal experience, it is a warning for every person who is ignoring health in the hustle and bustle of urban life. Along with making cities smart, it is equally important to make them healthy. This story is not only of Bengaluru, but of all those cities which are leaving the environment behind in the race of development.
