Hundreds of young citizens held fresh protests at India Gate in Delhi over the air quality crisis on Sunday. The protest has drawn wide attention as public frustration grows over the worsening pollution level in the national capital, with Delhi-NCR choking under hazardous air conditions.
Protesters demand immediate action on air pollution.
The protesters, it was reported, gathered at India Gate and raised slogans, asking the authorities to take more serious steps to curb the severe pollution in Delhi’s air. Police later removed the group from the spot.
This protest comes just days after a similar demonstration at the same location on November 9, as citizens demanded immediate implementation of tougher pollution-control measures.
Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index touched 391, making it fall into the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s 24-hour average. Pollution levels remain alarmingly high across the capital and surrounding regions despite emergency measures in place.
Pepper Spray Incident During Protest Dispersal
The protest took a tense turn when a small group of protesters allegedly used pepper spray on police personnel while being removed from the protest site. According to reports by PTI, three to four police officials were injured and taken to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital for treatment.
According to a senior police officer, some protesters made an attempt to cross over the barricades at C-Hexagon, which resulted in blocking the way to ambulances and emergency vehicles. The protesters were asked repeatedly to retreat, but they refused. This resulted in clashes and the use of pepper spray by a section of the crowd.
In order not to disrupt the traffic flow and worsen the situation, police cleaned up the area and took the protesters away.
Pollution Levels Continue to Rise Across NCR
While Delhi grappled with a “very poor” AQI, several NCR cities recorded even more dangerous levels.
* **Noida:** AQI 418 (Severe)
* Ghaziabad: 437 (Severe)
• Faridabad: 237 (Poor)
* **Ballabhgarh:** AQI 205 (Poor)
Throughout these regions, **PM2.5** remained the dominant pollutant, posing serious health risks for residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues.
Revised GRAP Measures for NCR
The Commission for Air Quality Management, or CAQM, recently revised the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, of NCR. It rearranged measures earlier listed under Stage IV of GRAP to Stage III and gave more flexibility to state governments.
This allows authorities to decide on the operations of public, private, and municipal offices at 50% capacity, while the rest work from home.
Political Blame Game Intensifies
The opposition parties, comprising the Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT), attacked the BJP-led government over its failure to contain rising pollution levels.
AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh earlier accused the authorities of failing to contain pollution, particularly after several protesters were taken into custody during the earlier protest at India Gate over AQI.
A City Demanding Clean Air
The fresh protest shows growing anger and concern among Delhi’s young population. As pollution has continued to rise every winter, citizens have been demanding faster and more stringent actions to ensure cleaner air and a safer environment.
As Delhi fights yet another phase of severe pollution, the message at India Gate is loud and clear: people want accountability, and they want solutions now.
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