Former IPS officer and ex-Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi, has issued a stern warning regarding the critically deteriorating air quality in the national capital, Delhi. Utilizing social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she has been consistently highlighting the severe pollution crisis, sharing alarming data and personal accounts to underscore the public health emergency.
Alarming Pollution Data and Personal Health Impact
In her latest updates, Bedi revealed that the Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached a hazardous level of 458. She provided a detailed breakdown of the primary pollutants, which included PM2.5 at 378.56 and PM10 at 339.92. Other significant pollutants recorded were NO2: 97.67, SO2: 22.23, O3: 9.95, and CO: 120.53.
Bedi did not hold back in describing the severe impact of this pollution on her own health. In posts dated November 25, she detailed suffering from sneezing, chest congestion, and restricted mobility. The situation has become so dire that it prevents her from enjoying outdoor activities, such as walks in Lodhi Garden or Nehru Park, which she described as "agonising and depressing".
A Plea for Prime Ministerial Leadership
Expressing her frustration with the current handling of the crisis, Kiran Bedi has directly called for the intervention of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). She argues that the issue of Delhi's air pollution is fundamentally a multi-state coordination problem involving Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab.
"I have requested the honourable Prime Minister's leadership because, at present, a retired civil servant is heading the commission and supervising the matter," Bedi stated. She emphasized that while committees exist, the strong political weight needed is missing. She believes that enforcement across various sectors like construction, sanitation, and developmental regulations requires powerful and coordinated leadership that only the PMO can provide.
Drawing a parallel to the national response during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bedi added, "I personally witnessed how the Prime Minister guided, inspired, and united the country during that crisis. When coordination is required across states and regions... no one is better at it than him." She suggested that if the Prime Minister does not intervene directly, the commission could at least be placed under a Group of Ministers to address this inter-state public health threat effectively.
Taking Personal Action Amidst the Smog
Demonstrating the gravity of the situation on a personal level, Bedi shared that in her own locality of Indirapuram, the AQI had skyrocketed to an even more severe 587. In a post on November 27, she explained the drastic steps she has taken to protect her family.
"I have not sent my child to school in spite of teachers' messages. I have written a firm mail to the principal," she revealed. This action highlights the immediate risks parents are perceiving and the personal responsibility individuals are taking in the absence of decisive systemic action.
To visually represent the human cost of the pollution, Bedi also reposted a poignant cartoon from Down To Earth magazine. The cartoon depicted two patients in a hospital—one with an oxygen mask due to an AQI of 700, and another injured after demanding clean air—powerfully illustrating the severe health consequences of the ongoing air quality crisis.
