Scientists, students, activists, and concerned citizens gathered at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to protest what they called the Central and State Governments’ failure to act on Delhi’s worsening climate and pollution crisis. The demonstration was organised by Scientists for Society and the Campaign for Right to Public Health, with support from groups including Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Disha Students’ Organisation, Progressive Artists League, and the Revolutionary Workers Party of India (RWPI).
Despite the Delhi Police issuing a cancellation letter and denying permission for the gathering, people from across the city turned up to voice their anger over the capital’s toxic air and the lack of effective action.
Speaking at the protest, Chiranshu from Scientists for Society said Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) had crossed 500, the “severe” category, breaking previous records. He noted that poor air quality causes around 17,000 deaths each year in the city. “It has become normal to hear every winter that the air quality has dropped again, but this situation can no longer be ignored,” he said.
Priyamvada from the Campaign for Right to Public Health said the environmental crisis was “reversible” if governments took consistent and people-centred action. She called for affordable public transport to reduce dependence on private vehicles, better sewage treatment systems, and the decentralisation of industries to ease the burden on Delhi. She added that long-term change would require addressing the capitalist system that prioritises profit over public health and the environment.
Yogesh from the Revolutionary Workers Party of India said the working class suffered the most from pollution. “The government pretends to control pollution by stopping small businesses, but it is the workers who lose their livelihoods and live in the most polluted areas,” he said, adding that air purifiers remain out of reach for most poor families.
Wishal from Naujawan Bharat Sabha criticised the authorities for what he called “drama” in the name of pollution control, such as spraying water near air quality stations or experimenting with cloud seeding. He said studies had already shown that such measures do not offer lasting solutions.
Keshav from the Disha Students’ Organisation urged students and young people to unite and build a mass movement for clean air and public health. “We must hold those in power accountable,” he said.
In a statement, Scientists for Society said science and knowledge should serve the public, not private profit. “The climate crisis is a product of a system that values money over life. Real solutions will only come when that system changes,” the group said.
