Hundreds of people took to the streets of New Delhi as air pollution reached hazardous levels, marking India’s first large-scale protest against toxic air. Around 400 demonstrators gathered near the India Gate monument, demanding government action as air quality hit an AQI of 345, categorized as “very poor.”
Police detained about 80 protesters before releasing them later. New Delhi’s pollution, worsened in winter by crop burning and stagnant winds, has kept PM2.5 levels between 300 and 400—far above World Health Organization limits.