Delhi air pollution disaster: Residents, college students stage protest at Jantar Mantar

Hundreds of Delhiites, together with college students from JNU, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) demanding speedy motion to enhance the nationwide capital’s air high quality.

Delhi has been battling persistently “very poor” air post-Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) staying above 300 for days.

On Tuesday, town woke as much as one other day of poisonous haze, recording an general AQI of 344, whereas 4 monitoring stations reported air pollution ranges within the “extreme” class, based on CPCB information.

Protesters wore industrial-grade respiratory masks as symbolic props and held placards, together with ones that learn, “Delhi ICU mein hai, Govt kahan hai?” Several demonstrators stated the deteriorating air had severely impacted day-to-day life in northern India.

“The high quality of life is completed in northern India… We are getting well being points as a consequence of dangerous air, our kids are struggling. What will we do with a five-trillion-dollar financial system if residents stay in such an atmosphere?” a protestor requested.

Another demonstrator, Shahid, criticised the BJP-ruled Delhi authorities for “not tackling actual points”.

“Blaming earlier governments can’t go on. The authorities ordered air purifiers for its workplaces in order that leaders can breathe clear air. But what about widespread folks?” he stated.

A DU pupil, Anjali, stated they’d organised the same protest at India Gate on November 10, throughout which round 15 girls had been detained and allegedly dropped off in Bawana late at evening.

“We won’t make peace with the state of affairs. Clean air is our elementary proper,” she stated.

She alleged the Delhi authorities was “manipulating AQI information”, losing public funds on cloud-seeding regardless of scientific objections, and “taking no steps to curb the causes of air pollution”.

Holding a poster that learn, “Plants are giving us oxygen, however are we inhaling poison?” a boy stated his throat had been hurting as a result of rising air pollution.

“Pollution needs to be stopped. The state of affairs could be very poor,” he added.

On November 9, scores of individuals, together with dad and mom and environmental activists, staged a protest on the India Gate in opposition to the worsening air high quality within the nationwide capital. Later, some protestors had been additionally detained by the Delhi Police citing absence of permission for protest.