‘Feet-on-ground’ approach: Kiran Bedi proposes structured plan for Delhi’s pollution crisis

Former Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has called for stronger, coordinated and field-driven action to address  recurring air pollution crisis of Delhi, urging top authorities, including the prime minister, to personally oversee progress.

In multiple posts on X, Bedi, who was the BJP’s chief ministerial face in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, said public officials must “breathe the air themselves by visiting polluted sites” and shift from “self-care to public care”.

The ex-IPS officer outlined what she described as a “responsibility plan”, saying the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should enforce national standards, the Commission for Air Quality Management must ensure NCR-wide uniformity.

The PMO should align key ministries, and state governments, district magistrates and municipal bodies must push daily enforcement on waste, dust, traffic and industrial violations, she further said.

Also Read: Delhi’s air quality improves, AQI in poor category

On Saturday, Bedi wrote, “I cannot see my city Delhi suffer, to which I have given my entire life,” and urged officers to walk the streets at 9 am daily before beginning office work. Relying only on reports, she said, weakens real-time response.

She also questioned the widespread use of air purifiers in official spaces.

“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 asked, suggesting restrictions on such installations at government expense.

In her Friday post, Bedi said the pollution crisis persists because governments depend on “quick, temporary fixes” and because “fragmented governance” prevents long-term solutions.

She called for a unified air-quality authority, stronger monitoring and cleaner energy and transport systems.

Appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Bedi said periodic virtual meetings with NCR chief ministers and chief secretaries could ensure accountability.

She also suggested that an appeal through Mann ki Baat could encourage citizens to contribute to pollution control efforts.

Delhi has been battling poor air quality since the post-Diwali period, a recurring winter challenge for the national capital.