Protests have erupted in India's capital as residents demand action against the city's toxic air, a crisis that goes far beyond seasonal spikes. The gathering at India Gate last Sunday saw citizens from all walks of life united by a common, frightening experience: the inability to breathe safely in their own city.
The Supreme Court's Stern Warning on Health Damage
On Thursday, November 13, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) breached the 400 mark for the third consecutive day, prompting the Supreme Court to issue a grave warning that toxic air could permanently damage people's health. This aligns with Central Pollution Control Board standards that categorize AQI above 400 as 'severe,' affecting healthy individuals and seriously impacting those with existing diseases.
This wasn't the judiciary's first expression of concern. In October last year, a two-judge bench explicitly stated that Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to live in a pollution-free environment, reminding governments of their duty to protect citizens' right to live with dignity.
Citizens Unite Beyond Ideology for Clean Air
The language of constitutional rights became the rallying cry for protestors like Bhavreen Kandhari, a clean air advocate who described how parents, journalists, and ordinary citizens came together not because of shared ideology but because of the common experience of living in a city where every breath feels uncertain. In her words published on November 11, she emphasized that clean air should be guaranteed by design through transparent, health-centered governance.
Instead of addressing these concerns substantively, the Delhi government responded by detaining some protestors and implementing Stage 3 of the Graded Action Response Plan - a familiar mixture of bans and punitive measures that treats pollution as a seasonal emergency rather than a year-round crisis.
The Hidden Health Crisis Behind 'Moderate' AQI Days
While this year's average AQI of 164 in the first nine months represents the cleanest air since 2018 (excluding lockdown years), a closer examination reveals a troubling reality. Delhi has not had a single 'good' air day this year, with the closest being an AQI of 53 in 2024.
More alarmingly, in the first eight months of 2025, Delhi experienced at least 170 days when the AQI was moderate or poorer. According to CPCB guidelines, AQI between 100-200 causes breathing difficulties for sensitive people, while levels above 200 affect the general public. This means for nearly half the year, Delhi's air posed health risks even before the current emergency phase.
The situation exposes critical gaps in pollution monitoring and governance. Multiple reports have highlighted that many of Delhi's pollution monitors either don't work during crises or are poorly located, undermining transparency and effective policy-making.
Cities like London and Beijing that have successfully improved air quality did so by treating it as a continuous challenge rather than implementing singular emergency measures. London's Breathe London Project, for instance, has mapped air quality across the city using low-cost sensor systems, while administrators have consistently engaged citizens, especially when situations demanded sacrifices.
The protests in Delhi represent a growing awareness among residents about the capital's clean air problem. The challenge now lies with administrators to demonstrate year-round vigilance with a keen focus on public health, moving beyond emergency responses to implement the transparent, continuous governance that citizens are demanding.
