Dozens rally at India Gate as hazardous smog blankets New Delhi
Dozens of residents gathered at India Gate in New Delhi on Sunday to press the government for stronger action as a dense haze of fine, toxic microparticles settled over the capital. Families, including children in masks, waved placards — one read: "I miss breathing."
Greater New Delhi, whose metropolitan area is home to about 30 million people, is regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals. Each winter, an acrid smog forms when cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a dangerous mix of emissions from crop burning, factories and heavy traffic.
Experts and activists warned that concentrations of PM2.5 — tiny particles linked to cancer and heart and lung disease that can enter the bloodstream — can spike dramatically in winter months. Readings near the protest were reported at more than 13 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily guideline, and in some episodes levels have climbed to dozens of times that benchmark.
"Today I am here just as a mother," said Namrata Yadav, who attended the rally with her son. "I am here because I don't want to become a climate refugee."
Protesters and campaigners criticised piecemeal government responses that they say have failed to deliver lasting improvement. Authorities have implemented temporary vehicle restrictions and deployed water trucks to spray mist intended to reduce airborne particulates, but activists say these measures are insufficient to address the root causes.
"Year after year, it is the same story but there is no solution," said Tanvi Kusum, a lawyer at the demonstration. "We have to build pressure so that the government at least takes up the issue seriously."
A Lancet Planetary Health study published last year estimated roughly 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution. The United Nations children’s agency has warned that polluted air places children at heightened risk of acute respiratory infections and other health harms.
As dusk fell into the smog, the crowd swelled before police intervened, detaining several activists and seizing placards on the grounds that the demonstration lacked official permission. One confiscated sign, torn in two, read: "I just want to breathe."
What’s next: Protesters say they will continue to press for sustained policy action to curb emissions from agriculture, industry and transport, and for stronger monitoring and enforcement to protect public health.
