Kiran Bedi Urges PM Modi to Intervene as Delhi’s Air Quality Deteriorates

Former top police officer and ex-Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi, on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene urgently as Delhi’s air pollution levels continue to worsen. Her remarks came on a day when several parts of the national capital reported an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 369, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.

In a post on X, Bedi urged the prime minister to address the issue in his upcoming Mann Ki Baat address, recalling his “effective” Zoom review meetings with officials during her tenure in Puducherry.

“Sir, please forgive me for pleading again. But I have seen your very effective Zoom sessions during my time in Puducherry — how you got everybody to deliver and perform in a time-bound manner. How everyone was inspired to meet deadlines and goals,” she wrote.

Bedi suggested that the prime minister conduct monthly virtual meetings with the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of Delhi’s neighbouring states to monitor progress on pollution control. “It will give us hope because we will know it’s under your oversight. People can heave a sense of relief,” she added.

Emphasising the need for public awareness, she urged Modi to highlight the issue in Mann Ki Baat to reach people across age groups and explain how citizens can contribute to pollution reduction. “Delhi was waiting for a ‘double engine’ in this respect too, to undo the damage done in the last 10 years,” she wrote.

Bedi has been actively using her X account to amplify concerns about Delhi’s worsening air quality, calling for coordinated, cooperative action among states. Pollution, she noted, was not accidental but “an outcome of decades without true coordination in governance”.

Delhi’s AQI has remained between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories for two weeks, despite various anti-pollution measures. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, air quality is expected to stay in the ‘very poor’ range over the coming week.