Kiran Bedi Urges PM-Led Action Plan to Combat Delhi’s Air Pollution Crisis

Former Puducherry Lt Governor and ex-IPS officer Kiran Bedi has called for stronger, coordinated and on-ground action to tackle Delhi’s persistent air pollution crisis. In a series of posts on X, Bedi urged top authorities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to personally monitor progress and ensure unified efforts, criticising the current dependence on fragmented governance and temporary measures.

Bedi, who was also the BJP’s chief ministerial face in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, proposed a “responsibility plan,” calling for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to enforce national standards, while the Commission for Air Quality Management ensures uniform implementation across the National Capital Region (NCR). She said the PMO should align key ministries, and state governments, district magistrates, and municipal bodies must intensify daily enforcement on waste burning, construction dust, traffic and industrial violations.

Stressing the need for field-based monitoring, Bedi urged officials to “breathe the air themselves” by visiting polluted sites and walking the streets at 9 am daily before beginning office work. She warned that relying solely on reports weakens real-time response and fails to reflect ground realities.

She also questioned the widespread use of government-funded air purifiers in offices and official vehicles, arguing that such practices isolate officials from the real conditions outside. “How do officials working in offices with purifiers, driving in cars with purifiers, and living in houses with purifiers know the air quality outside?” she wrote, suggesting restrictions on such installations.

Calling for long-term solutions such as stronger monitoring, cleaner energy, and improved transport systems, Bedi appealed to the Prime Minister to hold periodic virtual meetings with NCR chief ministers and chief secretaries to ensure accountability. She also suggested using Mann ki Baat to encourage public involvement in pollution control efforts.

Delhi has been grappling with deteriorating air quality since the post-Diwali period, a recurring winter phenomenon for the national capital.