Saiyami Kher flags Mumbai’s worsening AQI, compares air crisis to pandemic-era fears: ‘The air itself could kill us’

“I started running a decade ago. Every morning, I’d find myself on Carter Road, chasing the ocean breeze. That wind is what made me fall in love with this city and running,” she wrote. “I want to feel it again. And dystopian as it is, I put on a mask before lacing my shoes. It took me back to the pandemic. Except there’s no virus in the air endangering our life. The air itself could kill us.”

Kher wrote that she never imagined a time when “the very thing we breathe to survive would become a luxury”. Running had long been her anchor, but pollution now makes that very habit feel harmful. “Pollution is undoing what years of discipline and sweat and devotion built, one breath at a time,” she added.

Stressing that the crisis is no longer seasonal, the Mirzya actor urged that the issue should not be reduced to political sparring. She said many residents are being pushed into masks and indoor living while mourning the Mumbai they once cherished, ending her note with a pointed question: “Is basic accountability really too much to ask for?”

Check out the post:

I started running a decade ago. Every morning, I’d find myself on Carter Road, chasing the ocean breeze. That wind is what made me fall in love with this city and running.

I want to feel it again. And dystopian as it is, I put on a mask before lacing my shoes. It took me back to… pic.twitter.com/FIu6uP5JNd

— Saiyami Kher (@SaiyamiKher) February 24, 2026

Her post resonated widely with fellow Mumbaikars online. Several X users echoed her concerns in the comments section. A user wrote, “Mumbai’s pollution is real, but it’s not caused by one decision or one person. Construction, traffic, infrastructure push, and regional factors all play a role. Accountability matters, yes, but so do trade-offs and collective responsibility. Clean air needs systems change, not just outrage.”

Another user commented, “Running is important but pollution is ruining the running in fresh air. We are running out of time to set the things in order. Every one, from a common man to top government functionaries, will have to participate and contribute to clear the mess we have created.”

A third person wrote, “I’ve started wearing a mask each time I go on long walks, stopped running because it would be impossible to breathe properly with a mask on. I have sinusitis so I’m used to this live as a kid. I used to shout at my mom when she used to light agarbattis in the name of god and i used to sneeze as if my life depends on it. I used to wish everyone should experience this as a kid (more like curse) so they understand my pain, but I feel bad today that the cities we live in have come to this. Very very unfortunate.”

A fourth comment read, “It is truly sad that we have to plead for something as fundamental as clean air to breathe. Who would have imagined it would come to this?”

A fifth user wrote, “This hits hard. When something as simple and sacred as a morning run turns into a risk calculation, we know something is deeply broken. Clean air isn’t a privilege it’s a basic right. We shouldn’t have to grieve the cities that once made us feel alive.”

Mumbai’s air quality has indeed been under strain. The city recently logged its fifth-highest February AQI at 130, and as of Tuesday, February 24, the AQI stood at 160, firmly in the unhealthy range for many residents.