Dozens detained in rare New Delhi protest over toxic air crisis
Police in New Delhi detained dozens of protesters on Sunday after crowds gathered near the India Gate monument to demand urgent action against the city’s toxic air pollution, one of the worst in the world.
The demonstration — rare for the capital — saw people of all ages holding placards reading “Breathing is killing us” and chanting “Our right, clean air.” Police eventually cleared the area, saying the India Gate is not a designated protest site, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) hit 345 on Monday, categorized as “very poor”, far above the safe level of 50. Each winter, the city is engulfed in a thick haze caused by construction dust, vehicle emissions, and crop burning smoke.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the police response, writing on X:
“The right to clean air is a basic human right. Why are peaceful citizens demanding clean air being treated like criminals?”
Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the BJP-led government was taking steps to reduce pollution, including cloud-seeding efforts last month that failed to produce rain.
Similar news
