On Monday, March 18, the Bombay High Court (HC) expressed concern over Mumbai's air pollution. The court described the situation as "emergent." It said that the state needs to act proactively rather than reactively.
The court ordered the MPCB to conduct an immediate audit of the most polluting industries. These industries, classified as 'red', contribute significantly to the city's pollution. Despite having measures to combat air pollution since March 2023, the court noted that these were not implemented effectively. The policies existed only on paper, it observed.
The court urged the state and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to adopt a preventive approach. It criticised the current mindset of acting only when the problem becomes severe.
The state revealed that the MPCB requires an additional 1,310 employees to conduct industrial audits over a 15-month period. But, the court insisted on immediate audits of the red zone industries. The court acknowledged the personnel shortage at MPCB but said that human causes and public interests cannot be ignored.
Industries are categorised into four groups based on their pollution levels: red, orange, green, and white. The court stressed the need to address pollution from all categories, especially the red category.
The state informed the court that the Mumbai Metropolitan Area houses 25,000 industries. Of these, 7,268 are classified as very polluting and belong in the red category. 7841 remain in orange and 10640 in green category.
The court warned that the Air Quality Index (AQI), currently in the "satisfactory" category, might soon fall into the "poor" category as winter approaches.
The order comes after the court took suo motu cognizance of the increasing levels of air pollution in the city in December of the previous year. It had also received several petitions highlighting the issue.
The court emphasised the need for regular monitoring and checking of businesses and public projects to ensure compliance with air pollution standards and regulations.
The court asked why the situation is the same despite the existence of laws and regulations. It suggested the formation of a statutory entity to handle these matters.
The court pointed out that residential buildings have emerged close to industrial sectors due to urban development. It recommended that the state consider a framework for relocating industries to different zones.
Share
Tweet
