Delhi: At least 5 arrested for allegedly using pepper spray on police at air pollution protest

A Delhi court on Monday sent five persons to two-day judicial custody in a case registered against them for allegedly using pepper spray on police personnel while being removed from a protest against worsening air pollution in the national capital, PTI reported.

Judicial Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema also sent another person to an observation home under the Juvenile Justice Act while his age is being verified.

The students had been detained for allegedly obstructing and assaulting the police personnel during the demonstration at the India Gate, the news agency quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.

They also allegedly blocked a road, the police officer was quoted as saying.

“The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used pepper spray on our personnel, which is unusual and rare,” the officer was quoted as having alleged.

A first information report has been registered against them under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita pertaining to assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, voluntarily causing hurt, obstructing public servants in discharge of duties and disobedience to a lawful order from a public servant, PTI reported.

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.

Delhi-NCR AQI

The Air Quality Index at 19 of the 39 monitoring stations in Delhi on Monday recorded readings above 400, categorised as “severe”, showed the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board, at 11.05 am.

Despite restrictions to curb pollution, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 394, placing it at the higher end of the “very poor” category, the data showed.

An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and 100 indicates “satisfactory” air quality and between 101 and 200 indicates “moderate” air quality. As the index value increases further, air quality deteriorates. A value of 201 and 300 means “poor” air quality, while between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air.

Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”.

An Air Quality Index in the “severe” category signifies hazardous pollution levels that can pose serious risks even to healthy individuals.

In areas adjoining the national capital, Ghaziabad recorded the most severe pollution levels with an AQI of 426, followed by Noida, which logged 407. Greater Noida also reported a nearly “very poor” air quality with an index of 394.

In Haryana, Gurugram registered an AQI of 287, placing it in the “poor” category, while Faridabad recorded an AQI of 236.

Delhi has been recording air quality in the “poor” or worse categories since mid-October, leading to Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan being imposed on November 11.

GRAP is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region.

On Saturday, the Commission for Air Quality Management added a few Stage 4 measures of the GRAP to the Stage 3 restrictions already in force. The revision was aimed at making the plan more stringent to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region, the panel said.

This came after the Supreme Court, during a hearing on Wednesday, directed the commission to take proactive steps in consultation with stakeholders to check rising pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region.

Also read: Why air quality numbers in Delhi vary widely