[Watch] Clean Air Is Our Right: Protesters Detained In Delhi Amid Air Pollution Crisis

New Delhi: Several protesters demanding clean air were detained near India Gate on Saturday as Delhi’s air quality continued to hover in the “very poor” category. Holding placards that read “Smog se Azadi” and “Breathing is killing me,” demonstrators urged the government to treat the worsening air pollution as a “health emergency, not a blame game.”

Residents, including students and parents, gathered at the protest site to highlight the city’s deteriorating air quality and the impact of pollution on public health. “The rich can buy air purifiers or leave the city, but what about the rest of us? Every winter we struggle just to breathe,” said one of the protesters, holding a banner that read “Hawa sarkari nahi, sabka hai.”

Some participants alleged that authorities only exchange accusations instead of taking concrete action. “Every year they blame farmers or the previous government, but the result is the same — we are still choking,” said a student who joined the protest.

Environmental experts at the site warned that the city’s air pollution has reached alarming levels. A doctor participating in the protest said that one in every three children in Delhi suffers from damaged lungs and long-term exposure could lead to heart and respiratory diseases.

Police later moved in and detained several protesters, terming it a preventive measure. Officials said no prior permission had been granted for the demonstration at India Gate.

Meanwhile, political leaders continued to trade barbs over responsibility for the capital’s smog. Delhi’s Environment Minister said the government was working to mitigate pollution through steps such as deploying smog guns, enforcing construction site norms, and increasing the number of electric buses. Opposition leaders, however, accused the AAP government of failing to act decisively despite years of warnings.

The detentions came as Delhi residents faced another day of toxic air, with pollution levels persisting in the hazardous range and experts calling for immediate, coordinated action across state and central agencies.