Delhi Chokes as Public Figures Condemn Government Inaction
Delhi continues to struggle under hazardous air pollution levels, prompting strong criticism from prominent public figures. Author Suhel Seth and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi have openly expressed their frustration with what they describe as government indifference toward the capital's worsening air quality crisis.
Sharp Criticism from Public Figures
Suhel Seth delivered a scathing assessment of the situation through social media platform X. The entrepreneur accused authorities of deliberately ignoring the pollution emergency, stating that both judicial and administrative leadership have failed to address the problem.
"The truth is no one gives a monkey's toss about pollution. From the Chief Justice to the Chief Minister. It's strange. They can see but they don't want to act. What a dystopian world we live in," Seth wrote as Delhi recorded alarming air quality figures this week.
Meanwhile, Kiran Bedi has transformed her social media presence into a continuous chronicle of Delhi's pollution crisis. The former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry has been sharing multiple posts tagged as "Feedback post", repeatedly urging authorities to implement urgent measures.
Visual Protest and Personal Impact
In her most recent post shared approximately 11 hours ago, Bedi reposted a Down To Earth cartoon depicting two hospital patients. The illustration showed one individual suffering from toxic air exposure and another beaten up for simply demanding clean air. She captioned the powerful image "Another feed" accompanied by the hashtag "pollution".
The former officer also highlighted how families are making difficult decisions to protect their children from the toxic air. One of her posts revealed a parent keeping their child home from school despite teacher messages, with the AQI reading 587 in Indirapuram.
Bedi shared her own health struggles from the toxic air on November 25, noting the pollution has "severely" impacted her wellbeing. This personal account echoes the concerns of millions across Delhi-NCR who remain confined indoors for protection.
Fluctuating But Dangerous Air Quality
Despite a brief improvement earlier this week, Delhi residents woke up to an AQI of 385 categorized as "very poor." The Commission for Air Quality Management has lifted GRAP III restrictions across Delhi-NCR, but breathing conditions remain severe as air quality fluctuates between "very poor" and "severe" categories.
Bedi has called for intervention from the Prime Minister's Office, requesting "proactive" and stronger solutions. In a November 27 post, she described the persistent pollution situation as both "agonising" and "depressing" for residents.
The messages from both public figures reflect growing citizen frustration that despite annual attention to Delhi's winter pollution crisis, the fight for clean air remains far from over. Their outcry highlights the urgent need for effective government action to address what has become a recurring public health emergency in the national capital.
