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American woman who liked Delhi shares why she left the city, relocated to Bengaluru

A post by an American woman explaining why she left Delhi, despite liking the city, has prompted varied reactions on Instagram.

Published on: Nov 26, 2025, 09:41:35 IST
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An American woman shared that she left Delhi, despite liking the city, because the poor air quality was affecting her twin babies. She posted on Instagram that the pollution prompted her to move back to the US, but later she discovered Bengaluru and now lives there.

An American woman recalled her journey in Delhi. (Instagram/@danamarieplus3)
An American woman recalled her journey in Delhi. (Instagram/@danamarieplus3)

“I lived in Delhi for three years and this was my life with twin babies. It felt like an abusive relationship. Wonderful sometimes, potentially deadly at others. I loved the city and it was fine 70% of the time but the other 30% during the winters, it was toxic and dangerous,” wrote Dana Marie.

Also Read: NRI woman explains why she returned to India after 17 years in the US: ‘Reality hit me…’

She then discussed other parts of the country where the air quality is not as poor as in Delhi. She added, “...we moved back to India but this time Bangalore.”

“Not everyone has the privilege of moving and they shouldn't even have to consider it. Something needs to be done now. Our children shouldn't have to pay this price.”

HT.com has reached out to Dana Marie, this report will be updated once she responds.

How did social media react?

The video prompted a series of reactions. It sparked an intense discussion on pollution and poor air quality in Delhi and NCR. An individual commented, "It's been the same for the last 25 years.” Another joined, “Couldn’t agree more, I moved here 8 years ago, while my family lives through 790 AQI in Delhi, AQI in my BLR house is 48. It hurts to see them live this life.”

A third expressed, “I disagree with the last line. Only if every parent were concerned,then we could have fought the issue. But they are all just being ignorant. They have all become used to the toxic air. They find it normal. Only if they show more concern about the issue.” A fourth wrote, “Delhi is the worst place to be in every term.”

Delhi vs Bengaluru: AQI on November 26

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app, Delhi has an AQI of 333. The app mentions that the “air quality is very poor and can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.”

Also Read: Indian techie living in Sweden shares the hidden struggles behind life abroad: ‘You do everything alone'

The app displays a 94 AQI for Bengaluru and notes, “The air quality is satisfactory with minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.”

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More