Mumbai, February 24 – Actress Saiyami Kher is demanding accountability from the authorities responsible for maintaining clean air in Mumbai.
On Tuesday, the actress posted a picture of herself wearing a mask on Instagram, along with a lengthy caption. She wrote, "I started running a decade ago. Every morning, I would find myself on Carter Road, chasing the ocean breeze. That wind is what made me fall in love with this city and running. I want to feel it again. And while the situation is dystopian, I put on a mask before lacing up my shoes. It takes me back to the pandemic. Except there's no virus in the air that threatens our lives. The air itself could kill us. I never imagined a day when the very thing we breathe to survive would become a luxury."
The actress shared how, despite her best efforts, the polluted air remains beyond repair, and requires urgent attention from the authorities.
She further added, "My doors and windows remain closed. I bought an air purifier. I moved my runs to a treadmill, staring at a wall instead of the sea. And even that isn't enough. Running is the thing that keeps me whole. It clears my head. It heals something in me that nothing else can reach. But now, the activity I built my life around feels like it is quietly destroying me. Pollution is undoing what years of discipline, sweat, and devotion have built, one breath at a time. This isn't seasonal anymore. It shouldn't be a political issue."
"But somewhere between the data and denial, people like me are out there in masks, grieving a morning run, mourning a city we loved. Is basic accountability really too much to ask for?", she concluded.