New Delhi — As Delhi-NCR wakes up beneath toxic smog and hazardous air quality readings, former IPS officer and ex-Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has issued an emotional plea to the Prime Minister’s Office — urging immediate, coordinated action to combat what she calls an “agonising and depressing” air-pollution crisis.
❗ What Bedi said
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bedi wrote:
“Sir please… intervene proactively to control this agonising and depressing situation.”
She revealed that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in her area — Indirapuram, Ghaziabad (part of NCR) — had soared to 587, forcing her to keep her child home from school despite repeated reminders from teachers. Moneycontrol+1
Bedi called on the government to use the promise of a “double-engine” rule — same party at the Centre and in Delhi — effectively, and demanded that the Prime Minister convene regular virtual meetings (“zoom meets”) with Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of neighbouring states to monitor pollution control efforts centrally.
She also urged using national platforms — such as public broadcasts — to appeal for behavioural change across communities, asking citizens to take on responsibility along with the government.
🌁 The broader pollution picture
- Despite recent regulatory measures under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and temporary relaxation of some curbs, air quality remains abysmally poor. Public-data trackers and official monitors reported AQI levels in the “very poor” to “severe” range across multiple parts of Delhi-NCR.
- Medical experts have repeatedly warned that such persistent pollution spikes are particularly dangerous for children, elderly, respiratory or cardiac patients — prolonged exposure can aggravate chronic health conditions, weaken immunity, and lead to long-term damage.
📞 What Bedi wants — and why it matters
Bedi’s plea is not just emotional — it reflects frustration with recurring structural failures in air-quality management. She argues that only strong, high-level political will — not piecemeal, local or reactive measures — can deliver lasting change. By calling on the PMO and central leadership, she is forcing a spotlight on what many residents and experts warn is a public-health emergency.
Her call may galvanize civic pressure and prompt authorities to revisit strategies: be it stricter enforcement on polluting industries, coordinated stubble-burning management across states, better emergency response protocols, or public advisory campaigns urging behavioural shifts.
🔎 What comes next — key watchpoints
- Will the PMO respond with a top-level directive or a national-level coordination mechanism between states?
- Will neighbouring states (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan) cooperate effectively, given much of the pollution in Delhi comes from outside its borders?
- Will public-health advisories, real-time pollution alerts and stricter enforcement follow — or will Delhi remain stuck in its annual “grime-smog” cycle?
For millions breathing Delhi’s toxic air, Bedi’s “sir please” could mark the start of a more serious collective push — for clean air to become not just a demand, but a priority.
