In a desperate plea for clean air, dozens of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding urgent government action to combat the city’s toxic pollution. The Indian capital, home to 30 million people, is frequently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities. A thick haze of hazardous microparticles, known as PM2.5, blanketed the skyline, with levels soaring up to 60 times the United Nations’ daily health limits. These cancer-causing particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream, posing severe health risks. Protesters, including parents with masked children, carried placards with messages like ‘I miss breathing’ and ‘I just want to breathe.’ The demonstration took place near India Gate, where PM2.5 levels were over 13 times the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum. ‘I am here because I don’t want to become a climate refugee,’ said Namrata Yadav, a mother who joined the rally. Tanvi Kusum, a lawyer, expressed frustration, stating, ‘Year after year, it is the same story, but there is no solution.’ Despite government measures such as partial transport restrictions and water trucks spraying mist to clear particulate matter, the pollution crisis persists. A recent study in The Lancet Planetary Health linked 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 to air pollution. The United Nations children’s agency warns that polluted air increases children’s risk of acute respiratory infections. As the protest grew, police detained several activists, confiscating their banners and placards, citing a lack of protest permits. The event underscored the growing public outcry for meaningful action to address Delhi’s deadly air quality crisis.