To assess the increasing air pollution in Mumbai and its surrounding areas, a five-member committee constituted by the court visited 36 locations across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai between December 6 and 13. The committee submitted its report on the pollution situation to the High Court on Monday. During the hearing, the court questioned whether the committee had visited the Navi Mumbai airport area, where widespread pollution had been reported at the time.
The bench headed by the Chief Justice directed all concerned parties to study the committee’s report and propose concrete measures to address air pollution. While the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have filed affidavits, the court emphasized that accountability is more important than repeatedly filing affidavits and urged authorities to act as responsible citizens and work toward a permanent solution.
Earlier, in compliance with a court order dated November 28, an independent committee inspected 36 pollution-affected locations, including ready-mix concrete projects and construction sites. Senior advocate Darius Khambata, the amicus curiae, informed the court that the committee also held meetings with concerned municipal officials following the inspections. Taking note of this, the court made the above observations.
Through an intervention petition, the mother of a one-year-old child informed the court that her child was suffering from respiratory issues due to rising air pollution, which was also affecting lung development. While clarifying that the petition was not filed seeking medical assistance, the child’s lawyers stressed that air pollution poses a serious threat to young children’s health and sought directions for concrete preventive measures. Acknowledging this, the bench reiterated that strict compliance with rules and effective monitoring are essential to tackle air pollution.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has authorised only 13 sensor vendors. During the hearing, a builders’ association sought to intervene, arguing that sensor-based air quality monitoring was not feasible due to insufficient availability of sensors. The court, however, declined to hear the plea, stating that it must first examine the extent to which developers themselves violate pollution-control norms.
The Municipal Corporation stated that whenever the Air Quality Index (AQI) in any area exceeds 300, all construction activities, ready-mix concrete projects, and other polluting processes are immediately halted and are allowed to resume only after air quality improves. It also informed the court that out of approximately 1,000 traditional bakeries in Mumbai, 246 have been converted to green fuel. Additionally, the Corporation claimed that sensor-based air quality monitoring devices have been installed at most construction sites and key locations across the city.
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