Delhi AQI hits 397; chilli spray used on police during Sunday protest over toxic air

Protest on Sunday over rising air pollution levels at Delhi's India Gate turned tense after some demonstrators allegedly used chilli spray on police personnel while being removed from the spot.

Delhi continued to remain wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Monday, with no relief for residents as the city recorded its eleventh straight day of severely polluted air. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 397 in the morning at 6 am, and several monitoring stations again reported pollution levels in the “severe” category.

Anand Vihar emerged as one of the worst-affected areas with an AQI of 442. Other pollution hotspots, including Bawana (439), Ashok Vihar (436), Jahangirpuri (455) and Punjabi Bagh (423), also showed severe air quality.

In the neighbouring NCR cities, Noida entered the severe category with an AQI of 431, while Greater Noida recorded a “very poor” AQI of 354.

Ghaziabad continued to battle toxic air, recording 439 in the severe range. Gurugram reported very poor air quality at 351. Faridabad remained slightly better with an AQI of 269.

Protest over toxic air quality

Meanwhile, a protest on Sunday over rising air pollution levels at India Gate turned tense after some demonstrators allegedly used chilli spray on police personnel while being removed from the spot.

The protestors said that when the state makes the air itself poisonous, it becomes necessary for people to unite and raise their voices for their own survival. According to a senior police officer, the group had gathered close to the C-Hexagon and were told that their demonstration at that location was obstructing ambulances and medical personnel trying to pass through.

The police personnel at the spot sensed the situation could escalate to a scuffle and advised the protesters to step back. "They refused, broke the barricade, came onto the road, and sat there. When our teams were trying to remove them, some of the protestors attacked police personnel using chilli spray. Three to four personnel sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment," the officer said.

Steps taken to curb emissions

With pollution levels refusing to improve, authorities have listed several steps to curb emissions and slow down the rise in particulate matter.

One major measure is ensuring uninterrupted power supply so that people do not rely on diesel generators, which significantly add to air pollution. More staff have been deployed at major traffic choke points to reduce congestion, while pollution-related advisories are being issued regularly across newspapers, television and radio.

To reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads, the government is strengthening the public transport system by adding more CNG and electric buses and increasing the frequency of services. Differential fares are also being used to encourage commuters to travel during off-peak hours.

Officials have also decided to advance certain measures that were earlier linked to higher pollution stages. Some steps that previously came into force only when air quality reached the “very poor” category under Stage III will now be implemented at Stage II itself. These include staggered working hours for government offices in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. The Centre is examining a similar plan for its own offices.

Under Stage III, restrictions meant earlier for Stage IV will now be enforced. These include allowing government, municipal and private offices to operate with only 50% staff on site, with the remaining employees working from home.

The Delhi government has already directed private offices to follow this 50% attendance rule as a precautionary step amid the worsening pollution.