'I miss breathing': Protesters detained in Delhi anti-pollution march

Several protesters, including and children, lined up in front of India Gate, wearing masks and holding posters in their hands demanding clean air

As Delhi-NCR grappled with toxic smog and worsening air quality, residents took to the streets on Sunday evening, demanding urgent government action for clean air. Groups of students, parents, and environmental activists gathered at India Gate, holding placards that read “I miss breathing", “Right to live, not just survive", and “Delhi is injurious to health".

 

However, several protesters were detained by the Delhi police for assembling without permission. The detentions led to widespread controversy and backlash, drawing criticism from citizens and the Opposition.

What the protesters said

Videos on social media showed citizens being escorted into police buses. One of the detained protesters shouted, “Delhi Police is detaining us for demanding clean air in our city.”

 

Environmental activist Bhavreen Khandari told PTI that the group had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta but were refused. 

  “Every third child already has damaged lungs; they will live nearly 10 years less than those growing up in cleaner air,” she said.

 

Another protester said, “During (former chief minister) Sheila Dikshit’s term, Delhi was known as a green capital. Today, it’s among the world’s most polluted cities. Politicians keep blaming each other instead of taking responsibility.”

 

A recent Reuters report ranked Delhi among the world’s most polluted cities, with air quality reaching the ‘severe’ category after Diwali.

What the police said

The Delhi Police defended their actions, stating that protesters were detained for assembling without prior permission.

 

A police official told PTI: “There was no permission to hold a protest at India Gate. To maintain law and order and ensure security arrangements, some people were detained.” 

  DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla added that the detentions were preventive in nature.

He reiterated that Jantar Mantar remains the only designated protest site in the city, where permission can be sought through proper procedure.

Rahul Gandhi slams government

Sharing a video of the police detaining protesters, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the government’s response. "The right to clean air is a basic human right. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens who have been peacefully demanding clean air being treated like criminals?" he asked.

 

"Air pollution is affecting crores of Indians, harming our children and the future of our nation. But the government, which came to power through vote chori, simply doesn’t care, nor is it even attempting to solve this crisis. We need to take decisive action on air pollution right now instead of attacking citizens asking for clean air," he added.

Delhi air quality remains 'very poor'

The national capital woke up to another morning blanketed in thick smog on Monday, with air pollution levels continuing to remain alarmingly high across the city. At 8 am, the Anand Vihar monitoring station recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 379, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

  Visibility remained low across several parts of the city, while residents reported eye irritation, sore throats, headaches, and respiratory discomfort. On Sunday at 4 pm, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 370, also in the ‘very poor’ category.

 

The CPCB classifies AQI values between 0 and 50 as ‘good,’ 51–100 as ‘satisfactory,’ 101–200 as ‘moderate,’ 201–300 as ‘poor,’ 301–400 as ‘very poor,’ and 401–500 as ‘severe.’