Frustration Over Delhi Pollution and Deteriorating Air Quality Brings Citizens on the Streets

Over 400 citizens gathered at India Gate on Sunday evening to protest against the worsening air quality in Delhi, which continued till the police detained a dozen of them, including women and children. The protestors were chanting slogans and carrying placards that read "Saaf hawa sabka haq hai" and "Jab rakhoge paryavaran ka dhyaan tabhi banega desh mahan", demanding that authorities take immediate steps to curb toxic emissions that have blanketed the city for days.

The protest, organised informally through social media groups and student networks, came amid rising frustration over what many describe as "years of government inaction". According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered between 380 and 410 through the weekend—firmly in the 'severe' category—with PM2.5 levels nearly seven times higher than the national safe limit.

"We've been living in a gas chamber for years now. Every winter, we talk about the same problem, and yet the measures are temporary and reactionary," said Vijay Shekhawat, co-founder of Youth For Climate Alliance. "We're not here to block roads or cause chaos. We're here as concerned citizens asking for better measures, better action plans and better governance.”

How the event unfolded at India Gate

The two-hour-long demonstration began peacefully around 5 p.m., with many citizens showing up with placards and solidarity. Students from organisations such as Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Morcha (bsCEM), Himkhand, among others held banners and made a sit-down which was faced with heavy police resistance. 

"As young people, we're constantly told to 'work hard for the future' but how do you plan for a future when you can't even breathe in the present?" Tanya, a student of Environmental Sciences at TERI, told us at the protest. "We don't want token solutions. We want structural change."

"The air quality is worsening every year, and the government always blames weather, not policy failures," said a member of Himkhand, a student organisation working to address climate change in the Himalayan region. "Why are industries allowed to operate without checks? Why are vehicles still unchecked? Why are waste fires still ignored?"

One protestor from Karol Bagh, aged 65, told us, “We're here to demand clean air, a fundamental right that the state continues to deny." As evening descended, the crowd swelled with many protestors joining in. Police blared warning sirens and the crowd dispersed and started a peaceful march towards the other end of Kartavya Path to protest, where police forces and RAPD detained many of them, one of whom was the Karol Bagh protestor we talked to earlier. When asked about the detention, police officials said that the Jantar Mantar protest site is the only approved place for these kinds of demonstrations and not India Gate, as per the Supreme Court's order, dated 23.07.2018.

Detentions and Dispersal

Around 55 protesters, including 17 women and several students and even kids and senior citizens, were detained and taken away in police buses from the India Gate lawns. Witnesses claimed some were "pushed and dragged" whilst others were temporarily held at Mandir Marg Police Station before being released later that night. Some protesters were detained and taken to Bawana police station, including women and students, and were released at around 11:30 p.m. 

"We were sitting quietly with our posters when the police suddenly surrounded us, pushed and dragged us into vans," recounted Pooja Singh, a volunteer from Dwarka. "They said we didn't have permission to gather, but how long can citizens wait for 'permission' to breathe clean air?"

One protestor from Paschim Vihar, aged 45, recounted when she came here at India Gate for the Nirbhaya Rape Case Protests, “We will never be able to conduct that right now, they would shoot us. You can see right now even 6 riot vans and around 8 buses filled with police forces, and one water gun. For what? What are they preventing? Whom are they protecting? We are here to protest for a basic right. We are not criminals; we are just concerned citizens begging for our lives.”

The Capital Chokes Again

The protest has mushroomed amidst shocking updates and inaction. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) convened on Sunday evening to assess Delhi’s worsening pollution levels. Although the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) had climbed to 391 in the morning—placing it at the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category—the commission chose not to implement Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Even today, the category remains 'very poor'. 

By 4 p.m. yesterday, the hourly AQI had eased slightly to 370, indicating what CAQM described as a “consistent declining trend.” The body announced that existing Stage I and II measures—such as the ban on open burning and intensified road cleaning—would remain in effect. According to the AQI scale, readings between 301 and 400 are considered ‘very poor,’ while those exceeding 400 fall under the ‘severe’ category.

Experts say the situation remains precarious. Meteorological conditions—low wind speed, temperature inversion, and crop stubble burning in neighbouring states—have trapped pollutants over the region. Satellite data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) recorded over 2000 farm fires across Punjab and Haryana last week alone.

An environmental researcher from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), whom we met at the protest and who requested anonymity, noted that the government's response remains "largely reactionary". "Each winter we see the same pattern, emergency measures after the crisis hits," they said. "What's missing is long-term urban planning, inter-state coordination, and public health adaptation. Citizens are now taking to the streets because their patience has run out, and lives are at stake here."

Amongst the protesters was also Anil Sharma, a retired government employee, aged 62, who travelled from Rohini to join the demonstration. "I've seen Delhi change from a green city to a grey haze," he said. "I can afford an air purifier, but what about rickshaw drivers or construction workers?"

For many, the India Gate protest over Delhi's rising pollution symbolised a collective fatigue with empty promises.