Smog-choked New Delhi sees rare protests as air turns toxic again

Crowds took to the streets of New Delhi on Sunday demanding action as thick smog once again blanketed the world’s most polluted capital. Police detained several protesters at India Gate after they blocked traffic and held banners calling for their “right to breathe.”

By Monday morning, the city’s air quality index had soared past 350, officially “very poor,” with some areas topping 400, or “severe,” according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Anything under 100 is considered healthy.

Every winter, a toxic mix of crop-burning smoke, vehicle exhaust and industrial fumes settles over the city, worsening respiratory illness and causing thousands of premature deaths. “The right to clean air is a basic human right,” opposition leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, criticising the government’s crackdown on demonstrators.

Officials have reactivated emergency measures restricting construction and diesel use, and promised renewed efforts to curb crop fires. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government “will continue every possible effort” to combat pollution.

But years of similar pledges have done little to shift the numbers. With six of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, India’s capital remains a grim symbol of how political inertia and climate realities collide.