Influencer Claims Wife Quit Prestigious Govt Job In Delhi Over Pollution: Internet Divided

Financial influencer and investor Akshat Shrivastava recently shared on X that his wife, who had secured an impressive 8th rank in the UPSC exam, decided to quit her prestigious government job due to Delhi's alarming pollution levels.

Shrivastava’s wife was selected as a Group A officer in the Indian Economic Service. However, this would have meant spending a large chunk of her career in Delhi, which compelled her to quit the job due to the long-term impact of air pollution in the national capital, he shared.

“Most of her career, she would be in Delhi. Looking at the pollution situation. And, our young son, she decided to quit. Was the decision difficult? Yes (like who leaves a Group A government job?) Do we regret 1 bit? Absolutely not,” Shrivastava said on X on Wednesday.

He further pointed out the factors that make the situation even more hopeless. “None of the governments care, citizens are mostly brainwashed and the onus is on you to save yourself,” Shrivastava said.

He said this could mean quitting a dream job for some people, such as his wife, while others might be compelled to quit their private jobs or even businesses. “The point is: if you want to protect your health, you gotta do something about it,” the post of the Goa-based influencer concluded.

The post on X has stirred a debate over Delhi's pollution. The viral post has garnered over 9.5 lakh views. Many users also shared their frustration while supporting Akshat Shrivastava’s views on moving out of Delhi-NCR due to the worsening air pollution.

While some people said that they respected the couple’s decision, others noted that not everyone has this choice. “Most people cannot just quit and move. They need competent officers to actually make policy changes happen. Running away is easy. Fixing it is hard,” a user commented.

The debate continues on social media as the city grapples with toxic levels of air quality. As of Wednesday 4 p.m., the average air quality index in Delhi over the past 24 hours stood at 202, indicating it was in the ‘poor’ range, data showed. Living in such conditions for prolonged periods can lead to breathing discomfort for most people, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

According to the government-backed ‘System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research’ (SAFAR) portal, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi on Thursday at 11 a.m. was recorded at 287, indicating ‘very poor’ air quality.