
An American woman living in India has gone viral after showcasing how her family survives in Delhi during the high-pollution winter months. Kristen Fischer, who has been living in India for over four years, posted a video on Instagram which showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) inside and outside her home.
"So people ask me how I'm able to manage the air quality here in Delhi," Fischer said, whilst showing the monitoring device, which displayed an AQI of 210 outdoors.
After taking the device indoors, the reading plummeted quickly and settled around 50 as Fischer revealed the secret behind the difference.
"This is because we have air purifiers in our house. They allow our indoor air quality to stay nice and clean," said Fischer, adding: "In these winter months, we spend a lot of time indoors and, most importantly, we sleep in controlled and clean air. As long as our time outdoors is brief and intermittent, we can manage the pollution here in Delhi."
The American woman stated that Delhi's pollution crisis peaked during the winter months and that she did not have to operate the air purifiers throughout the year.
"The high pollution months are not all year. Mostly just November through January is bad. Otherwise, the air is much better in Delhi the rest of the year," she captioned the accompanying video.
"Indoor air quality is not always good like this, it is only due to the air purifiers we run full-time. Without those the indoor air can be just as bad, or even worse than outside. Stay safe out there all."
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As the video gained traction, social media users lauded Fischer for taking action to protect her family, while others highlighted that no one should be forced to take such drastic measures just to breathe and urged the government to take action.
"I am happy to see that there is a way to manage that inside at least," said one user, while another added: "Hopefully the outdoor AQI of Delhi soon get as better as your indoor AQI."
A third commented: "I find green plants like elephant plant and ivy are helpful in keeping air clean. I helped one Delhi friend put plants hanging all the way across the balcony and we did a test also. The plants definitely help block that outdoor air quality so you can at least still enjoy the balcony."
A fourth said: "It's so sad that what is free by nature has to be purified by artificial things..Four air purifiers is a big deal. Not sure everyone can afford it."
In a previous video, Fischer, a mother of four, stated that she does not "regret" her decision to set base in India, where she has met incredible people and seen amazing places.
A new study published in Science has challenged this view, suggesting the genetic contribution might be considerably higher.
Several parts of the national capital woke up to dense fog on Monday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the moderate to poor categories according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
India's fight against toxic air just took a hit. The 2026-27 Budget allocated only Rs 1,091 crore to pollution control - down from Rs 1,300 crore last year.
Several parts of Delhi and the wider National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed light rain during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a drop in the maximum temperature for today.
The air quality in Delhi has shown slight deterioration this January compared to last year, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) till January 30 standing at 307, compared to 306 during the same period in 2025, according to an analysis
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