NEW DELHI: Several people were detained on Sunday afternoon after they gathered at India Gate as part of a “clean air protest”, demanding urgent govt action and strict policies to mitigate what they called an “air emergency”. Some women even brought their children, holding nebulisers and medical prescriptions, to the site — symbolic reminders of the pollution crisis that has choked the city.

Some took to social media, sharing visuals of people being herded into police buses. A post on X read: “India Gate clean-air protest. We are being taken away, shoved into a bus”. A few protesters alleged that they were manhandled and some children also detained, but police denied both claims.According to the cops, the agitators were repeatedly advised to shift their demonstration to Jantar Mantar, the designated site for public protests in the city. “When they did not comply and continued blocking Man Singh Road, we intervened and detained them before reopening the road for the public,” said DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla, adding that only those obstructing traffic were detained. They were later released.In a press statement, the protesters demanded “urgent, accountable and transparent action” from Delhi govt to tackle the crisis. They called for the creation of an independent air regulator, real-time air quality data transparency, clear health advisories during pollution spikes and public accountability for funds to tackle pollution. Saying that clean air is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution — Right to Life — they urged both Delhi and central govts to act beyond short-term measures in order to safeguard public health.Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari, who was part of the stir, said, “It is unfortunate that about a hundred citizens were detained. Ironically, many woman police personnel identified with the protesters as they, too, struggle to breathe the same toxic air. However, we saw many people without masks. That’s the real tragedy.”