New Delhi

 

 

 

I live in the world's most polluted city. I also have asthma.

I moved to New Delhi in October, to take up a new post with CNN. I had heard the warnings from colleagues and friends: The air in Delhi is bad, they said. Really bad. I mostly ignored them.

 

After all, I am a veteran of polluted cities. I grew up in Southern California when the region had the worst air in the United States. As a child, I remember how smog would obscure the nearby San Bernardino Mountains. After a while, the Santa Ana winds would blow, and sweep all the dirty air out of the valley.

No big deal.

 

That was my attitude, even though I had been diagnosed with childhood asthma. As a kid, I didn't think too much about my asthma. I used an inhaler on and off, but that was it. I played sports. I ran on the track team. I remember feeling short of breath only a couple times.

I should have paid more attention.

 

The air in Delhi is so bad that I've altered my behavior. I've stopped running outdoors. I check the air monitoring app on my phone almost as often as I check email. I bought two air filters for my home, and I run them 24/7.

malli kottesam 

bombay leda?