As air quality worsens, Delhiites protest outside environment ministry

A group of people on Tuesday gathered outside the office of the Environment Ministry to protest against the alarming rise in the pollution level that has raised health concerns.

The protesters held placards displaying messages like 'Delhi air is poisonous', 'breathing is killing me', '#My Right to Breathe' and 'Unbreathable India' outside the Indira Pariyavaran Bhawan.

The protesters also sang songs and asked the government to stop the stubble burning going on in the surrounding states of Delhi.

Delhi's air has deteriorated to alarming levels in the last three weeks and on Monday the worst air quality of the season was recorded at 'severe' level.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 394, which falls in the 'very poor' category, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board.

On Monday, the AQI was recorded at severe category of 434, the highest of the season, it said.

On Tuesday, the PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) level was recorded at 243 while the PM10 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) was recorded at 372 in Delhi.

In Delhi NCR, the PM2.5 was recorded 237 and PM10 was recorded at 366, the CPCB data said.