Citizens groups to hold protest on Dec. 3 against air pollution; NSUI lends support

As toxic air continues to sweep the Capital and its surrounding region, a group of civil society organisations on Saturday called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on December 3.

Earlier in the day, former Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Kiran Bedi said the situation in the national capital needs immediate action. “Governance cannot be remote-controlled. It must stand in the dust, breathe the same air, and act with urgency,” she said in a post on X.

Ms. Bedi added, “We need town halls that listen, not merely report; field visits that reveal the truth on the ground; officials who see, feel, and correct in real time.”

Several civil society outfits, including My Right to Breathe and Warrior Moms, said they would participate in the demonstration. The Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) also expressed support.

Bhavreen Kandhari, co-founder of Warrior Moms, said, “GRAP III has been revoked, and it is a concern for most women as hybrid classes for their children have now stopped. The government should be working to curb the pollution, but it is in denial.”

On Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas revoked restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of emergency measures to curb bad air, across the National Capital Region, citing an improvement in air quality.

Varun Choudhary, the NSUI national president, said he and his supporters would join the protest. “I stand with the call by the citizens’ groups of Delhi to protest at Jantar Mantar”, said Mr. Choudhary.

On Saturday, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was 305 (‘very poor’), a slight improvement over 369 on Friday. The AQI is a measurement of pollution on a scale of 0-500. A higher value suggests increased toxicity.