Delhi air pollution: Residents rally at India Gate demanding urgent action, several detained | 10 points
Amid alarmingly high pollution levels in Delhi, citizens took to the streets on Sunday, staging a protest at India Gate. Several protesters were detained after police, citing a Supreme Court order, stated that Jantar Mantar, not India Gate, is the designated site for protests.
A day after Delhiites experienced increasingly toxic air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing the 400 mark, scores of parents, environmentalists, and concerned citizens staged a protest at India Gate, Delhi, demanding urgent government action on deteriorating air quality. Police intervened, detaining several participants for holding a demonstration without permission.
India Gate protest explained in 10 points
- The protest was primarily organized by concerned citizens and environmental activists who are worried about the serious health impacts of Delhi’s deteriorating air quality.
- Many protesters stated that they had requested a meeting with the Delhi Chief Minister to discuss pollution control measures.
- Environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari told PTI that the protest was driven by the urgent need to protect children, stating that “every third child already has lung damage and may live nearly 10 years less than children growing up in cleaner air.”
- Delhiites faced another day of toxic air on the morning of the protest. Data from the Air Quality Early Warning System showed an AQI of 392, with multiple locations surpassing 400, ranking Delhi among the most polluted cities in India.
- At the same time, a separate protest was being held at India Gate regarding the Supreme Court’s order on relocating stray dogs from schools, offices, and institutional areas, adding to the crowd at the national monument.
- Delhi Police said several protesters were detained for assembling without permission. A police officer explained that the detentions were necessary “to maintain law and order and ensure there is no obstruction in security arrangements.”
- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) publicly supported the anti-pollution protest. Party leader Priyanka Kakkar criticised the Delhi BJP government, accusing it of ignoring rising pollution levels and manipulating official data to downplay the severity of the crisis.
- Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj described the protest as “non-political” and noted that many educated citizens and civil society members participated due to the growing trust deficit in government pollution data. He highlighted that institutions such as DPCC, CPCB, CAQM, and IMD were allegedly manipulating figures, prompting citizens to take their concerns to the streets.
- Protesters emphasized that urgent government action is needed to reduce air pollution levels in the city and protect public health, especially that of children. The demonstration reflected growing public frustration and distrust, signaling that residents may increasingly resort to public protests if authorities fail to address the crisis effectively.
- A thick layer of toxic smog enveloped Delhi this morning, resulting in drastically reduced visibility across major areas such as Lodhi Road, Akshardham, and India Gate. Air Quality Index (AQI) readings for these locations ranged from 'Very Poor' (377–381) to 'Severe' (412), far above safe levels defined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Enviornment Minister slams AAP government
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa came down heavily on AAP government saying, "The AAP made the air poisonous continuously for 10 years, and when they were ousted, and there is a Rekha Gupta government for 7 months, they are asking why it was not corrected in 7 months. I want to tell people that, the Rekha Gupta government installed anti-smog guns on high rise buildings, has done dust mitigation with water sprinklers, we are monitoring all the ongoing constructions, we are ensuring only e-buses for public transport, also e-vehicles are being used to last-mile connectivity, but the damage of 10 years cannot be corrected in just 7 months... They are dishonest, spent the money only on ads... We are trying to improve the situation..."
The air quality early warning system predicts Delhi's air will remain in the 'very poor' category for the coming days, with possible escalation to emergency measures if conditions worsen, such as imposing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 3 restrictions. Meanwhile, the government remains focused on distributing clean fuel under the Ujjwala Yojana and intensifying operations aimed at dust and pollution suppression throughout the capital.
Delhi’s air pollution crisis continues to pose serious challenges to public health and safety, prompting strong and coordinated action from the government and agencies citywide.