Anxiety in a warming world: My goodbye to Delhi’s toxic embrace

Across the many landscapes we traverse in life, there’s a singular yearning for “home” — more specifically, our hometown. Many of us dream of retiring where we grew up. I did too. After years abroad, I returned to Delhi to be near my ageing parents. But Delhi’s punishing climate and toxic air took a toll. Summers soared past 50°C, winters dipped into 700+ AQI territory. My once-active outdoor life vanished and I developed COPD.

In the years that followed, I have been determined to live differently; to embody the change I wish to see. I’ve ensured there is minimal wastage at home — I shunned the shower and stuck to bucket baths and reused any plastic that entered my home. But the problem of unnecessary consumption and waste was all around me.

In 2017, a friend and I started a small social experiment: A barter-thrift-exchange community on Facebook called ‘The Minimalists of Delhi’. It was aimed at shifting mindset and shrinking footprint. We launched in December — peak festive and wedding season — when splurging on designer wear was common. We invited close friends and family to share excess household goods from their homes and wardrobes. 

We were mostly guided by an urgent desire to see waste diverted from landfills, and to embark upon a circular-fashion, circular-living ethos, in our own small way. Later, I learned of studies confirming what we intuited — reusing textiles has an environmental impact 70 times lower than producing virgin cloth.

It started with a simple request — a wedding-worthy saree, borrowed for a one-time use. Today, the community has over 600 members.

People have furnished entire starter homes, wardrobes have been traded, home decor upgraded and new job seekers outfitted with office-ready attire, all at no cost to wallet or planet! 

It wasn’t smooth sailing, though. In a culture where “used” often implied “lesser”, we faced skepticism. Slowly, attitudes shifted. Today, reuse is embraced as a kind of quiet rebellion, especially by Gen Z, who carry the torch of eco-consciousness with both urgency and creativity.

In these small acts of faith, I find a sliver of hope. Even as we edge towards breaching ever-new planetary boundaries — such as ocean acidification — I find optimism in these small, deliberate circles of change. If we each lived as though we might live forever, with care for what we consume and share, we might just bend the curve toward a gentler landing for our species.

While our initiative helped promote a culture of mindful consumption, it was a drop in the bucket. Delhi keeps becoming more uninhabitable every year, and the latest Aravali judgment was the final nail on the coffin. 

So, eight years on, with both parents gone, I feel my filial duty to Delhi is complete. I have made the difficult decision of moving to Bangalore by April 2026. 

Of course I am acutely aware of the privilege that allows me to make this choice. Still, the loss is real: An ecosystem of childhood friends, cultural ties, trusted doctors and a neighborhood that feels like family. Yet the trade-off seems clear. A life tethered to air purifiers and air conditioners is no longer one I wish to surrender to.

Mohana Talapatra is a climate action consultant who works in sustainable finance and Net Zero strategy.

This article is on the theme of Down To Earth's special edition Anxiety in a warming world published January 1-15, 2026, featuring exclusive interviews with Dia Mirza, Kalki Koechlin, Kiran Rao, Nila Madhab Panda, Sajana Sajeevan, Tsewang Chuskit, Manish Mehrotra and others, as well as columns by scientists, activists and journalists.