New Delhi, Dec 3 (UNI): As Delhi continues to grapple ‘very poor’ air quality, students and citizens gathered at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, calling for urgent action to secure clean air for the city’s residents.
Students from Delhi University, JNU, and Jamia Millia Islamia took part in the demonstration, joined by members of the Congress-backed National Students’ union of India (NSUI).
Protesters held placards declaring, “Delhiites deserve an AQI below 50”, “Clean air is a fundamental right”, and “Everyone has the right to breathe.”
Several local singers also performed at the venue to energise and encourage the crowd.
Neha, 26, one of the protesters, alleged that despite the BJP being in power at all levels – Centre, State and in the MCD – it failed to bring pollution under control.
“Earlier, there was always a blame game, but now there are no excuses. There have even been reports of AQI data being manipulated, yet the figures still fall in the ‘very poor’ category. Who knows what the real AQI is? We will continue to protest until major measures are taken. This concerns our fundamental right,” she said.
Delhi’s air quality has remained mostly in the “very poor” to “severe” range since Diwali. According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 301–400 is classified as “very poor”, while 401–500 falls under the “severe” category.
The pollution crisis has drawn the attention of both the Parliament and the Supreme Court.
On Monday, the apex court stated that air pollution in Delhi-NCR cannot be regarded as a “customary” seasonal issue and ordered that the matter be listed twice a month to monitor both short and long-term solutions.
Chief Justice Surya Kant, sitting alongside Justice Joymalya Bagchi, also challenged the long-standing belief that stubble burning is the main cause, pointing out that skies stayed clear during the COVID-19 period even though stubble burning continued.
In Parliament, YSRCP MP Ayodhya Rami Reddy Alla called Delhi’s pollution levels a public health emergency, citing data showing that nearly one in seven residents is at risk of premature death due to pollution.
He said over 17,000 deaths last year were linked directly to toxic air.
Drawing a comparison with Visakhapatnam, where PM10 levels have increased by 32.7 percent over seven years, he criticised the inadequate use of funds under the National Clean Air Programme.
“Unchecked air pollution costs India over 3 percent of its GDP each year,” he said, calling for stronger political will, accurate data, greater public awareness, and real-time governance.
