On a chilly Sunday near the iconic India Gate, a vibrant crowd of over 100 citizens, from spirited students to dedicated activists, gathered loud and clear! Their message? ‘Clean air is everyone’s right’ and a loud NO to Delhi’s worsening air pollution. With handmade placards glowing bright, slogans filled the air: 'Delhi is injurious to health.' Many wore masks and even carried air quality gadgets to prove their point. Pihu from Noida shared her frustration, “We have been seeing the air quality worsening in the city despite the change of regimes. The governments don’t care about the people. What was the point of allowing firecrackers during Deepavali?” Such fiery words captured the crowd’s mood perfectly. The peaceful protest lasted almost two hours, despite many police warnings to end it. Security was high with four buses loaded with Delhi Police and CRPF's Rapid Action Force stationed nearby. Things heated up when about 55 protesters, 15 of them women, were ‘whisked away’ by police. Kranti, one of those taken, described the scene: “We were pushed, our clothes were pulled, and we were dropped off in distant areas like Narela and Bawana.” Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held a meeting later that day. The air quality index (AQI) had touched a scary 391 in the morning—deep in the 'very poor' zone. But by afternoon, it dipped slightly to 370. The commission chose not to activate the harshest Stage III pollution controls. Instead, they stuck with Stage I and II moves like banning open burning and cleaning roads more. Just when you thought the day’s action was over, the crowd stayed back to protest another issue fiercely—Delhi’s street dogs. They challenged the Supreme Court's order on relocating them, raising loud concerns about shelters, funding, and poor animal birth control. What a day of passion and purpose in the heart of India’s capital!