‘Leaving City Tomorrow’: Startup Founder Cuts Delhi Visit Short, Says He Could ‘Smell’ Pollution

As Delhi continues to struggle with toxic smog and deteriorating air quality, a tech founder advised to leave the city. Kunal Kushwaha, a senior developer advocate at CAST AI and the founder of ed-tech platform WeMakeDevs, shared a post on social media and said, “Leave Delhi, go in debt if you have to.” Kushwaha, who lives in London, said he could “smell and taste” pollution.

Calling the situation a crisis, he said buying property in Delhi “does not make sense.”

Taking to X, Kushwaha wrote, “Leave Delhi, go in debt if you have to. I used to think, how bad can the AQI really be for people in Delhi? I knew it was bad, but I never understood the scale because I didn’t feel it as drastically. I grew up in Delhi, studied here, and never felt a huge

difference. You see people on the streets without masks, just walking around, and even people going for morning runs.”

“But I was wrong. It’s a crisis. And honestly, leaving this city should be your top priority. After living in London for a few years and breathing clean air, the moment I landed in Delhi I could literally taste and smell the pollution. Even AQI 200 hit me hard: sore throat, and a feeling like needles in my lungs. I could actually feel the pollution entering my body,” the post added.

Leave Delhi, go in debt if you have to.

I used to think, how bad can the AQI really be for people in Delhi? I knew it was bad, but I never understood the scale because I didn’t feel it as drastically. I grew up in Delhi, studied here, and never felt a huge difference. You see… pic.twitter.com/OV5RVE351C

— Kunal Kushwaha (@kunalstwt) November 22, 2025

He further shared that he has cut his trip short due to the pollution. “Please leave this city for your own sake. Buying a property here does not make sense either. Same for Mumbai. If you can, pack your bags and move yourself and your work somewhere else. I’ve cut my trip short and I’m leaving this city tomorrow,” Kushwaha said.

Delhi’s air quality remains ‘very poor’ for straight nine days. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 370.