Parents, environmental groups and residents gathered at India Gate on Sunday to protest Delhi’s hazardous air, urging immediate government intervention to ensure clean air for children and vulnerable citizens. Many demonstrators were mothers with kids, reflecting growing public anxiety over prolonged exposure to severe pollution levels across the capital.
According to statements cited by agencies, environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari said families had sought a meeting with the chief minister and were refused, adding that every third child already shows lung damage and could see a decade cut from life expectancy compared to peers breathing cleaner air. The gathering came on a day Delhi’s Air Quality Index hovered near the “severe” band in several localities, amplifying calls for urgent measures.
Air quality indicators remained grim through the day, with the city’s overall AQI in the high “very poor” to “severe” range and multiple areas breaching 400. Some reports noted local spikes closer to 600 in pockets, underscoring episodic surges that keep health risks elevated, particularly for children and the elderly.
A simultaneous demonstration over the Supreme Court’s ruling on relocating stray dogs from institutions also unfolded near India Gate, adding to the crowd dynamics. Police said several individuals were detained as the protest site lacked permission, describing the detentions as preventive to maintain law and order in a high-security zone.
New Delhi DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla reiterated that only Jantar Mantar is designated for protests with prior approval, and that assemblies at India Gate can trigger security concerns. Visuals showed officers moving groups away from the memorial precincts as congestion built up amid the haze.
Politics entered the frame as Aam Aadmi Party leaders backed the citizen protest, alleging data manipulation by government agencies and inadequate response to the crisis. AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar criticized the city’s leadership for “denial” over pollution severity, while Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj framed the action as a non-political civil society effort born of a trust deficit over air quality numbers.
Broadcast and digital reports highlighted live scenes of detentions and dispersal near India Gate, with anchors noting that over a hundred citizens had assembled at peak hours. Coverage emphasized the persistence of “severe” pockets and urged adherence to advisories on masks, reduced outdoor activity, and public transport use to blunt exposure.