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‘Bangalore is slowly killing us’: Entrepreneur couple on moving out of city after 2 years
Aswin and Aparna, a couple who enjoyed life in Bengaluru, explain why they have decided to move out of the city.
A couple that spent two years in Bengaluru has now decided to move out of the city, despite loving its vibe, weather and people. Aswin and Aparna attributed their relocation to Bengaluru’s deteriorating air quality, saying they have both suffered ill health as a result.
In an Instagram post shared two days ago, the couple went into further detail about why they decided to move out of Bengaluru.
“Bangalore is slowly killing us”
Aswin and Aparna introduced themselves as 27-year-olds who are both “working in corporate”. They also run their own business and have lived in Bengaluru for the last two years.
In a video that opened with the provocative sentence “You might hate us, but Bangalore is slowly killing us”, the couple unpacked their decision to move out of the Silicon Valley of India.
The couple explained that they love Bangalore for its weather, its vibe and its people. However, over a period of time, they began to notice how they were frequently falling ill.
“We started falling sick. I developed breathing issues and allergies," said Aswin. “And I, who doesn’t even catch a cold, is always coughing and sneezing,” added Aparna.
The couple tried to fix their lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising daily. Eventually, they realised it was Bengaluru’s air quality that was the root cause of their problems.
Bengaluru’s air quality problem
“People say Bangalore has fresh air and great weather, but does it really?” asked Aparna in the video. The couple explained that in February, they checked the AQI and were shocked to see it stood at 297 - placing Bengaluru in the “very unhealthy” category, just short of “hazardous”.
Shocked by the air quality, the couple decided to leave Bengaluru for greener, cleaner pastures.
“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,” they explained.
“Our job and our friends are here, but we have to put our health first,” they added.
Moving out of Bengaluru
The couple told HT.com that they have moved back to their hometown in Kerala for the time being. “Bangalore was the best option that we had, compared to other metro cities,” they said. Now, they want to move “somewhere quieter, maybe the mountains.”
“Or maybe we won’t even settle at all …” they say.
How the internet reacted
Their video has gone viral with nearly 1 million views on Instagram. In the comments section, however, the couple face anti-migrant hate.
“Please leave, Bangalore was just fine before people started moving here for work and overcrowding the city,” wrote one user.
“Vacate Bengaluru everyone. So that people already living here can live in peace and get the fresh air back,” another person added. “As a Bangalorean, y’all in the comments section gotta stop taking this so personally, and instead try to make our city safer for everyone,” a third countered.
