The court noted that the air quality index frequently fluctuates between "good, satisfactory, moderate, poor, very poor and severe".
During the hearing on Thursday, senior advocate Janak Dwarkadas, appearing for the city's environment group Vanshakti, told the court that the movement of heavy trucks in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has made travel difficult and motorists are facing dust.
Dwarkadas also drew attention to the pollution caused by construction work related to the Navi Mumbai International Airport and other infrastructure projects in the region, saying it had worsened the city's air quality.
Taking cognizance of the petitions, a bench comprising Chief Justice Shri Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the situation was similar to Delhi, where pollution from neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana was contributing to Delhi's pollution.
The court allowed the parties to submit their suggestions to the high-powered committee constituted by the court on January 29 to curb air pollution.
Observing that the authorities concerned need to check transboundary pollution, the court directed the City and Industrial Development Corporation and Panvel Municipal Corporation to review the pollution situation in their jurisdictions.
It asked the parties to obtain and peruse the panel’s preliminary report and cooperate with the HPC by following its instructions. The HC posted further hearing on the PIL and other pleas to the first week of April.
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