Hi, I am Nidhi, a mother, a wife, and a daughter, I lived in Gurugram with my family and worked as a database analyst. Gurugram, a city named by the Guru Dronacharya, the biggest guru in India. I was living in Delhi – NCR from the last 12 years.

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But on Tuesday, the first week of November 2019. I left the city and moved to Dehradun, my native place. The reason was my daughter’s deteriorating health which was getting affected by air pollution.

“Family First, Work Next – Because There is No Replacement For Family Loss.”

Next night after Diwali my 6-month-old daughter (Kia) was not able to sleep and cried the entire night. She troubled to breathe due to the smog and the heavily polluted air. Kia’s father held her close to his chest and tried to calm her. My whole family tried hard to make Kia comfortable and sleep but she was a bit too restless. Kia’s Grandparents also tried to soothe her restlessness.

The next morning my parents-in-law (who have rather behaved more like parents) went out for a morning walk and came back within 15 minutes due to the bad air quality and breathing problems.

After thinking a lot, I decided to leave the city. It wasn’t only me and my own health I was responsible for, but that of my baby too. I began to feel guilty as a mother moreover when I read in the newspaper that 60% of children in Delhi’s school suffer from a breathing disorder, it struck me hard. Breathing is the most basic human function required to sustain life which I am not able to give to my baby. After all the word “pranayama ” comes from the word “Pran” which means life.

I discussed the same with my husband, I didn’t force him to shift but he backed my decision. And we left for the city on Tuesday morning and moved to my native place Dehradun (a city where Ram Rai, the eldest son of the Seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai, set up his “Dera”) traditional house which had been lying closed for so many years.

My husband is still in Delhi though he is missing the family, And when Kamal calls up Kia, just imagining Kia’s smile makes him smile.

It’s high time we acted on the issue of pollution. While this is not a personal feeling, but most residents of Delhi-NCR feel the same. Leaving away from a place you have lived in for a decade is no solution but I have no other way to protect my family. It is an urge to all to take action against the rising pollution. Today it is me, tomorrow it can be someone else. Let us make sure that people do not force to leave their cities and get unrooted. Leaving all the professional opportunities, memories behind, just to keep their loved ones safe and healthy, is a scary Idea. Isn’t It?

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