‘Couldn’t imagine my kids growing up like this’: People are leaving Delhi-NCR for other cities; here’s why

For several Delhi-NCR residents, worsening air quality and daily hardships have outweighed career opportunities. Their moves to Pune, Siliguri, Rajasthan and Bengaluru reflect a search for healthier surroundings, better quality of life and, in some cases, lower costs.

Delhi-NCR has long attracted people seeking better jobs. For some professionals and business owners, everyday life now weighs more heavily on that decision. Pollution, dust and poor infrastructure are pushing them to consider other cities. This year, Delhi’s air quality slipped into the severe category even five days after Diwali.

Aman Raj once spent hours practising cricket in the nets. As a school student, he played professionally for Bihar. At Delhi University, he enjoyed roadside momos and shawarma. Over time, outdoor exercise made him sick, and dust put him off street food.

Even a morning car wash could barely get him through the day. By evening, his car was dusty again. A public park stood just across from his rented flat in Gurugram. He visited it only once.

Aman told The Indian Express that his throat burned whenever he returned from Ranchi. He worked at American Express at the time and felt he could no longer risk his health. In March, the 30-year-old IT professional took a job in Pune and moved there.

In Gurugram, Neeraj Sancheti, founder of a marketing agency, watched his daughter fall ill frequently. The family made more visits to the paediatrician. During the worst months, going to playschool was practically her only outing. Sancheti and his wife also spent much of their time inside their flat.

“How can you let your children smoke cigarettes? I couldn’t imagine my children growing up in the air like this,” he told the publication.

In 2024, he moved to Siliguri with his family and started running his agency online. He now spends time with his wife and children by a nearby stream, according to Express.

Amit Gupta faced a similar choice when he returned from the United States in March. He had lived in Delhi several times and remembered the constant jams on Ring Road. Traffic fumes and dust were part of daily life.

Construction sites often stayed unpaved even after work ended. He also felt that getting from public transport to his final destination had become harder.

“Delhi was not improving; in fact, it was getting more and more difficult to live here. I felt that the city is not fit for us anymore,” Gupta told Express.

Gupta chose Ganganagar in Rajasthan, where his grandfather had worked as a teacher. He now lives there with his family, the publication added.

Academic Kartikeya Batra grew up enjoying Delhi winters filled with Ramlilas, festivals and weddings. When he considered university jobs after his doctorate, pollution helped steer him towards Bengaluru. He described spending about four months indoors with masks and air purifiers.

Remote work

Remote work made moving possible for some after the pandemic. Leaving also meant putting distance between themselves and friends, relatives and professional contacts.

Most of Aman’s friends were in Delhi. Some who moved found lower living costs. For him, Pune also meant long drives through the green foothills outside the city.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.