15 arrested for using 'pepper spray' on Delhi Police during air pollution protest

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested 15 people on charges of obstructing its personnel and assaulting them, besides blocking the road during a protest at the India Gate over rising air pollution levels in the national capital, an official said on Monday.

On Sunday, the situation at the protest escalated as some demonstrators allegedly used pepper spray on police personnel while being removed from the scene, the official added.

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According to a senior police officer, the protesters had gathered close to the C-Hexagon and were told that their demonstration at that location was obstructing ambulances and medical personnel trying to pass through.

"The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used pepper spray on our personnel, which is unusual and rare," the officer said, adding that so far, 15 protesters have been arrested.

The Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air, in a statement, said the city's worsening air quality has become a "serious risk" to public health and alleged that authorities have failed to address the root causes of pollution.

It further alleged that air quality has remained in the "severe" category, while the government relies on "cosmetic measures" such as water sprinklers, cloud seeding and spraying near Air Quality Index (AQI) stations instead of finding long-term solutions to tackle the issue.