Delhi pollution: Residents, students stage protest at Jantar Mantar

Delhi pollution: Hundreds of Delhiites, including students from JNU, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday demanding immediate action to improve the national capital’s air quality.

Delhi has been battling persistently “very poor” air post-Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) staying above 300 for days.

On Tuesday, the city woke up to another day of toxic haze, recording an overall AQI of 344, while four monitoring stations reported pollution levels in the “severe” category, according to CPCB data.

Protesters wore industrial-grade respiratory masks as symbolic props and held placards, including ones that read, “Delhi ICU mein hai, Govt kahan hai?” Several demonstrators said the deteriorating air had severely impacted day-to-day life in northern India.

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“The quality of life is finished in northern India… We are getting health issues due to bad air, our children are suffering. What will we do with a five-trillion-dollar economy if citizens live in such an environment?” a protestor asked.

Another demonstrator, Shahid, criticised the BJP-ruled Delhi government for “not tackling real issues”.

“Blaming previous governments cannot go on. The government ordered air purifiers for its offices so that leaders can breathe clean air. But what about common people?” he said.

A DU student, Anjali, said they had organised a similar protest at India Gate on November 10, during which around 15 women were detained and allegedly dropped off in Bawana late at night.

“We will not make peace with the situation. Clean air is our fundamental right,” she said.

She alleged the Delhi government was “manipulating AQI data”, wasting public funds on cloud-seeding despite scientific objections, and “taking no steps to curb the causes of pollution”.

Holding a poster that read, “Plants are giving us oxygen, but are we inhaling poison?” a boy said his throat had been hurting due to the rising pollution.

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“Pollution should be stopped. The situation is very poor,” he added.

On November 9, scores of people, including parents and environmental activists, staged a protest at the India Gate against the worsening air quality in the national capital. Later, Some protestors were also detained by the Delhi Police citing absence of permission for protest.