Our lungs are filled with dust: Sayani Gupta sparks conversation as Mumbai AQI worsens

Actor Sayani Gupta has ignited a powerful public conversation on Mumbai’s escalating air pollution, voicing a frustration shared by millions across the city. In a candid and deeply personal statement, the actor detailed her health struggles on Instagram since she returned from Goa, drawing attention to the visible and invisible toll Mumbai’s toxic air is taking on its residents.

Here's what Sayani Gupta has to say about Mumbai's escalating AQI

“Ever since I've gotten back from Goa, I've been unwell,” she shared, explaining how what began as throat irritation and voice loss soon worsened into severe sinus issues. Her condition, she said, has affected both her daily life and work. “I have literally not opened my windows because of the AQI… The air purifier is on, which I hope helps, but it's pointless.”

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Sayani’s comments go beyond individual discomfort, they echo a growing civic anxiety around rampant construction, unchecked redevelopment, and the steady erasure of green cover in urban India. She questioned the relentless push for infrastructure at the cost of public health, pointing out that, "we are not just covered in cement and dust from the outside, but also our lungs are filled with dust."

Referring to large-scale deforestation, including conversations around clearing the Aravalis and the ongoing loss of natural reserves, Sayani expressed disbelief at policymaking priorities. “I don't know what will have to happen and how many people need to die literally from this insane AQI for them to stop cutting trees,” she said, calling out both institutional apathy and rampant greed. Her concern extends to Mumbai’s redevelopment surge, often driven by commercial interests rather than public need.

With pollution choking the city and its people, Sayani’s plea is urgent and unfiltered and her words land with even greater weight today, as she acknowledge the crisis, protect the environment, and talks about the most basic human right which is the right to breathe.

As reported on Monday, December 1, Mumbai's AQI stands at 111, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), slightly higher than Sunday's 103. The financial capital recorded its worst air quality of the season on November 28, when levels in several pockets slipped into the "poor" category, touching 222.

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