Why Kiran Bedi Compared Delhi's Pollution Crisis with Covid and Urged PMO Intervention

New Delhi: Kiran Bedi, Puducherry former Lieutenant Governor and ex-IAS officer, has likened the worsening air quality situation in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) with Covid and felt that a coordination between agencies and states like the one seen during the pandemic was required to deal the situation, while lauding how Prime Minister Narendra Modi handled the situation through zoom meetings and adopted time bound approach.In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, Kiran Bedi addressed upon Delhi's air pollution recalling how the PMO keep a check and coordinated between authorities for effective management during the Covid time and mentioned the same was needed to handle the Delhi pollution crisis.Kiran Bedi in one of her posts said,

"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."

Continuing further, the former IAS officer said, "Sir your zoom meet with these five neighbouring CMs periodically, along with Chief Secretaries, with fixed schedule even just once a month, to report progress, will stop the situation to worsen.""It will give us hope because we will know it’s under your oversight. People can heave a sense of relief. You may consider an appeal even thru your 'Mann Ki Baat' on people to understand their roles in pollution control. For all sections, all age groups. You have been doing so so many issues. Recall one of the APL users surrendered their gas cylinder subsidy. It worked @PMOIndia," she said.Speaking with respect to Delhi, Bedi said that It "was waiting for a ‘double engine’ in this respect too, to undo the damage done last 10 years."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhRBPZjdlrc

Why Kiran Bedi Wants PMO Intervention to Deal Delhi Pollution

When asked about her social media post seeking the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) intervention to address Delhi’s pollution crisis, Kiran Bedi said, "...I have requested the honourable Prime Minister’s leadership because, at present, a retired civil servant is heading the commission and supervising the matter. Committees and groups have been formed, but the strong political weight that is needed at this moment is missing.""This is essentially a coordination issue involving multiple states - Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab. Since it is an inter-state matter, it cannot be left solely to a retired civil servant. Whether it is construction, sanitation, or developmental regulations, enforcement requires powerful, coordinated, and effective leadership," she said.

Kiran Bedi further added, "This situation is similar to COVID. I personally witnessed how the Prime Minister guided, inspired, and united the country during that crisis. When coordination is required across states and regions, especially with existing political challenges, no one is better at it than him."

She continued and said, "If the Prime Minister does not wish to intervene directly, the commission can at least be placed under a Group of Ministers, because this issue concerns multiple states and impacts public health. Air pollution may appear to subside but keeps returning, and it is harming every Delhi resident, from children to the elderly. That is why strong leadership from the PMO is essential.”