A striking photo shared on X (formerly Twitter) from Gurgaon, a city known for its luxury apartments and gleaming corporate towers has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The image shows an air purifier filter coated in thick layers of dust and dirt, offering a grim visual of the toxic air residents are breathing every day.
“This is my air purifier filter in Gurgaon. The land of ₹200 crore apartments, glossy towers & lungs working overtime like interns at Big 4,” the user wrote.
“Welcome to the city where we pay a premium for polluted air. Efficiency, but make it toxic.”
Social media users react to the reality check
The post drew thousands of reactions, with residents and environmentalists weighing in. One user wrote, “These high-end buildings seal us inside with filtered air, ignoring the outside problem. True luxury should include clean, breathable air for everyone.”
Another commented bluntly, “It’s like breathing through a chimney.”
Others shared practical advice, urging frequent cleaning of purifiers and regular maintenance, while some compared cities, saying “Pune and Bengaluru still offer a better balance of livability and air quality.”
Delhi-NCR chokes as smog thickens
The viral post comes amid a severe pollution phase in the Delhi-NCR region. Over the past week, air quality levels in Delhi and surrounding areas, including Gurgaon, have ranged between “poor” and “very poor.”
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), a drop in wind speed has worsened the situation by reducing the dispersion of pollutants. Experts warn that prolonged exposure to such air can lead to serious respiratory and cardiac problems, especially among children and the elderly.
Once seen as a symbol of India’s corporate success, Gurgaon’s skyline now stands against a hazy backdrop of smog, turning what was marketed as a premium lifestyle into a daily struggle for clean air.
