Mumbai HC Questions Authorities on Persistent Air Pollution Haze
The Bombay High Court demands action from authorities to tackle Mumbai’s air pollution crisis and improve citizens’ quality of life
Mumbai, India, Air Pollution, Bombay High Court, BMC, MPCB
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court is really putting the pressure on the Maharashtra government and local authorities about the ongoing air pollution problem. They’re asking if residents will have to keep dealing with this haze every year.
The judges pointed out that everyone knows what’s causing the bad air quality, especially after Diwali. They want to know what’s being done about it. It’s like a yearly cycle, and they’re tired of it.
This isn’t the first time the court has stepped in. They’ve been keeping an eye on air quality issues for a while now. They even set rules for firecracker use during Diwali, but it seems like nobody followed them.
The judges are frustrated that the authorities only act when the court gets involved. They stressed that the pollution is mainly from construction activities and didn’t like the BMC’s excuse about needing to choose between development and clean air. They want both!
The BMC’s lawyer said they’re trying to take action, but the judges weren’t convinced. They pointed out that the situation hasn’t improved, and they need to do more. They also mentioned that Mumbai has advantages over Delhi when it comes to air quality.
Besides construction dust, the judges noted that more vehicles and bakeries using wood and coal are adding to the pollution. They urged the BMC to push bakeries to switch to cleaner fuels and encourage vehicle owners to use CNG or electric options.
There’s also a staffing issue with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. The court was unhappy that they hadn’t filled 1,310 positions, which is slowing down important audits of polluting industries.
In response, the state’s advocate promised to fill those vacancies quickly. They also mentioned that they’ve taken action against several industries for pollution, but the judges want to see more concrete measures to tackle the air quality crisis.