Public Protests Erupt in India Over Air Pollution

Hundreds of people gathered at India Gate in New Delhi on Sunday to protest against severe air pollution, with many brandishing slogans like, 'I Miss Breathing.' Police detained several protesters for assembling without permission, which led to an angry response from the opposition Congress party.

New Delhi's air quality has been rated as very poor or hazardous this fall, with a reported average Air Quality Index, or AQI, of 346 on Monday morning. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, AQI levels of 301 or higher are considered hazardous.

Contributing factors to the pollution include seasonal air currents, smoke from agricultural fires, and fireworks from the Diwali holiday. The World Health Organization classified New Delhi's air quality as severe, which has sparked outrage among residents suffering from health issues like headaches and persistent coughs.

Protesters, many of whom were mothers with their children, demanded urgent government action, showing medications prescribed for their children to combat the air crisis. Environmental activist Bhavreen Khandari noted that many parents are present because their children are already suffering, with every third child reportedly having damaged lungs.

The opposition Congress party criticized the detentions, asserting that the protesters were fulfilling their constitutional duty to protect the environment as mandated by Article 51-A (g) of the Indian Constitution.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh emphasized that citizens are merely trying to carry out their obligation to protect and improve the natural environment. Party leader Rahul Gandhi echoed these sentiments, asserting that the right to clean air is a basic human right and questioned why citizens peacefully demanding clean air are treated like criminals.

Protesters also accused the Modi government of manipulating air quality data, citing videos showing water being sprayed near AQI monitoring stations. Prime Minister Modi's attention was diverted to a car bomb explosion near a metro station, which killed at least eight people.

Notably, Modi was among world leaders who did not attend the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, with activists expressing anger over this absence, viewing him and others as among the world's worst emitters of greenhouse gases.

These protests in New Delhi reflect a growing public awareness and demand for effective policies to address air quality and public health issues.