Dozens Detained at India Gate During Protest Against Delhi’s Toxic Air Crisis

Indian police detained dozens of people on Sunday during a rare public protest at India Gate, where citizens demanded urgent government action to combat the toxic air pollution choking the national capital and its surrounding region.

Protesters of all ages gathered at the iconic monument, holding banners and chanting slogans such as “Breathing is killing us” and “Our right, clean air.” Visuals showed police dragging several demonstrators into waiting buses after they refused to disperse.

“We have only one problem, and that is of clean air,” said Neha, a masked protester quoted by news agency ANI. “This problem has been going on for many years, but no action is being taken.”

Police said they asked protesters to vacate the area since India Gate is not a designated protest site. Opposition leaders, however, condemned the detentions.

“The right to clean air is a basic human right,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. “The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens peacefully demanding clean air being treated like criminals?”

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 345 on Monday, categorised as “very poor” — far above the “good” range of 0–50 and nearing the “severe” zone of 401–500.

Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government was taking “every possible effort” to reduce pollution, adding that tackling the crisis remained the BJP-led administration’s top priority.

Each winter, the capital and neighbouring areas are enveloped in thick smog caused by vehicular emissions, construction dust, and crop residue burning. The heavy cold air traps these pollutants close to the ground, worsening respiratory illnesses.

Last month, authorities attempted cloud seeding to induce artificial rainfall and disperse the smog — but the operation failed to produce rain.