Air pollution levels surge in India's capital, sparking rare protests

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NEW DELHI (AP) — A thick layer of smog enveloped India’s capital Monday, filling the air with an acrid smell as pollution levels surged and worsening a public health crisis that has prompted its residents to take the streets to protest and demand government action.

By Monday morning, New Delhi’s air quality index stood at 344, a level considered “severe” and dangerous to breathe, according to the World Health Organization’s recommended exposure limits.

Late Sunday, hundreds of people, including parents and environmental activists, gathered at New Delhi’s India Gate in a rare protest, urging authorities to act. Many wore masks and carried placards, with one reading: “I miss breathing.”

“I am here just as a citizen who cares and who is worried about the state of situation that we are in with respect to the lack of clean air to breathe,” said protester Meghna, who only gave her first name.

Police later confiscated placards and banners and asked protesters to disperse, saying they did not have permission to demonstrate.

Worsening air quality in the capital has sparked outrage from residents suffering from headaches and persistent coughs. Frustration is mounting toward politicians accused of trading blame instead of enforcing policies to combat what has become an annual health emergency.

Home to more than 30 million people, New Delhi and its surrounding region routinely rank among the world’s most polluted cities. India has six of the 10 most polluted cities globally, and New Delhi remains the most polluted capital, according to a report from Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir earlier this year.

Air quality in the city worsens further each winter as farmers burn crop residue in nearby states and cooler temperatures trap the smoke, which mixes with vehicle and industrial emissions. Toxic particles linger because Delhi’s winters are often dry and windless, sometimes pushing pollution levels to 20 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit.

Authorities have temporarily banned construction, restricted diesel generators and even tried using cloud seeding to promote rain, but critics say only long-term measures to cut emissions can bring real relief.