As Delhi continues to reel under a thick, persistent haze, former IPS officer and ex-Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has once again appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take charge of the capital’s deepening pollution emergency. With the city’s air quality stuck between “very poor” and “severe” for over two weeks, Bedi has used her social media channels to issue repeated warnings and call for urgent, coordinated intervention.
Bedi Calls For Central Oversight Amid Alarming Air Conditions
On X, Bedi asked the prime minister to spotlight the crisis in his Mann Ki Baat broadcast and recounted his earlier administrative leadership 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 time bound in several national challenges. How everyone was inspired to meet the deadlines and the goals,” she wrote.
Sir please 🙏forgive me for pleading again.
But I have seen your very effective Zoom sessions during my time in Puducherry.
How you got every body to deliver and perform time bound in several national challenges. .
How everyone was inspired to meet the deadlines and the goals.…— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) November 28, 2025
Her renewed plea reflects growing public anxiety as smog blankets the capital and PM2.5 levels push well beyond safe limits. Visibility has decreased sharply, while residents continue to report respiratory distress and eye irritation.
Push For Monthly Meetings With Neighbouring States
Bedi urged the prime minister to convene structured monthly virtual reviews with the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of states surrounding Delhi. She argued such oversight could provide a sense of direction and accountability across jurisdictions.
“It will give us hope because we will know it’s under your oversight. People can heave a sense of relief,” she said.
She further suggested that Modi use Mann Ki Baat to speak to citizens of all age groups about practical steps they can take, remarking that “Delhi was waiting for a ‘double engine’ in this respect too, to undo the damage done last 10 years.”
Social Media Alerts, Public Health Warnings Continue
In recent posts, Bedi has repeatedly flagged administrative shortcomings and the mounting health burden on citizens. One of her latest shares included a Down To Earth cartoon featuring two hospital patients—one injured simply for demanding clean air—accompanied by her caption: “Another feed” with the hashtag #pollution.
Meanwhile, forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System show no immediate relief in sight. Pollution levels are expected to remain in the “very poor” category through the coming week, prolonging the capital’s hazardous smog spell and amplifying calls for immediate action.
