Startup founder cuts Delhi trip short due to toxic air, urges people to leave

Delhi's air quality once again raised alarm as pollution levels reached ranges that many residents say feel unbearable. AQI numbers swinging between “poor” and “severe” have become a daily reality, and visitors arriving from cleaner cities abroad report an immediate physical shock.

Kunal Kushwaha, founder of WeMakeDevs, shared his own experience in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that quickly gained attention.

“Leave Delhi, go in debt if you have to,” the caption of the post reads.

Kushwaha wrote that he had grown up and studied in Delhi, and for years, never truly felt the full impact of the pollution. Seeing people walking freely without masks or jogging in the early mornings had made him believe that the poor air, while concerning, was still manageable.

That changed only after the founder returned from London, where he had spent a few years breathing cleaner air.

In his post, he described landing in Delhi and instantly tasting and smelling the pollution in the air. Even moderate levels, he said, felt overwhelming.

“Even AQI 200 hit me hard: sore throat, and a feeling like needles in my lungs,” he wrote.

He added that he could “feel the pollution” entering his body, something he had never experienced so sharply while growing up in the city.

Kushwaha urged people to leave Delhi for their own well-being, saying that staying in the city made little sense if one had the option to move.

“It's a crisis. I've cut my trip short and I'm leaving this city tomorrow,” he adds.

HT.com has reached out to the user for more details. This report will be updated when he responds.

The post was shared on November 22, 2025, and since then, it has gained 2.41 lakh views and numerous comments.

Delhi's air quality remains critical as winter smog takes hold. Delhi recorded an AQI of roughly 430 at 7 am on Sunday, marking air quality as firmly “severe.”

Source: HindustanTimes
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