Spectator by Seema Goswami: The great gasping
Once a season of cosy sweaters, winter now brings toxic smog. But a few tweaks around home can help you breathe easier
In more innocent times, the arrival of winter – signaled by that early-morning or late-night nip in the air – was something to be celebrated. In my childhood home, it meant that the razais, sweaters, coats, etc that had been packed away with mothballs would be disinterred ceremonially and laid out in the afternoon sunshine to get an ‘airing’. My favourite activity as a child used to be to roll around on my mother’s velvet jackets to enjoy the luxurious feel of the fabric.
These days, however, the arrival of winter (especially in Delhi where I now live) has become something to be dreaded rather than celebrated – given that it brings eye-watering (quite literally) levels of pollution with it. So, preparing for the winter has taken on a slightly desperate edge as we deal with apocalyptic levels of bad air. Sure, we still spend time sunning our shawls and overcoats so that they lose that slightly musty odour, but along with that there is a military-style effort to save ourselves from the foul air that we are forced to breathe at this time of year.
There are some lucky people who have the time and resources to plan what I like to call an aircation (ie, a vacation to a place that has breathable air). And sometimes, I am fortunate enough to be of their number, escaping for a week/fortnight to a nice hill station or beach either in India or abroad. But the thing about aircations is that – much like vacations – they come to an end sooner rather than later. And one fine day, you find yourself back at home, breathing in the same noxious air that you had escaped from.
So, what’s a girl to do? Well, let me count the ways.
First up, invest in good air purifiers. Over the last few years I have built up quite a collection, and I now have them running in every room of the house. But before the air pollution season starts, I make sure to clean the filters thoroughly and replace the ones that have clearly given up the ghost. It is not feasible to stay indoors all the time, but I find that my asthma gets less aggravated the longer I spend huddled next to my air purifiers. So, it makes sense to spend good money on these, rather than endless visits to the doctor.
The other thing that has become an essential in the Delhi winter is the nebuliser. Even if you are a completely healthy adult, you will experience some breathing problems during this season. And the problems will be even worse when it comes to young children and older adults in your household. So, it makes sense to have a nebuliser at home, ready to do service the moment anyone at home begins to find it hard to breathe.
One other way of trying to improve the air in your home is to buy some plants that are most effective at purifying indoor air. Spider plant and snake plant are supposed to be the best at this. Others that can do the same trick are money plant, peace lily, or even the areca palm.
Of course, there is no guarantee that these tips will keep you well all winter. But, at least, it won’t be for lack of trying.
From HT Brunch, November 1, 2025
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