Home / Environment / Delhi Chokes: Citizens Demand Action on Toxic Air
Delhi Chokes: Citizens Demand Action on Toxic Air
4 Dec
Summary
- Protestors at Jantar Mantar demanded a parliamentary committee to combat worsening air quality.
- Activists criticized the Supreme Court's ruling on the Aravali Hill definition, fearing more mining.
- Calls for decentralizing industries and controlling vehicular emissions were central to demands.
Citizens, students, and environmental activists gathered at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to protest the persistent decline in Delhi's air quality. The demonstrators voiced strong demands for the government to establish a parliamentary committee, supported by an independent monitoring team, to tackle the escalating air pollution crisis. They criticized current governmental efforts as insufficient and highlighted concerns over recent judicial decisions impacting natural resources.
The protest featured impassioned speeches and musical performances, with participants sharing their struggles with the toxic air. Placards conveyed messages such as "The air is poisonous" and "Why is breathing a privilege." Activists specifically addressed the Supreme Court's revised definition of the "Aravali Hill" and "Aravali Range," expressing fears that it would permit increased mining and further environmental degradation in the region.
Several protestors pointed to the decentralization of industries and control over vehicular emissions, road dust, and construction as crucial steps. They argued that the concentration of industrial areas within and around Delhi significantly contributes to pollution. Some participants wore gas masks to symbolize the severity of the situation, equating air quality levels above 300 to chemical warfare and emphasizing that prolonged exposure to toxins is biologically harmful.
