Bombay HC flags air quality concerns, summons civic and Pollution Board chiefs

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A presumption    of the metropolis  enveloped successful  a heavy   furniture   of haze, successful  Mumbai.

A presumption of the metropolis enveloped successful a heavy furniture of haze, successful Mumbai. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Bombay High Court, portion proceeding a suo motu nationalist involvement litigation connected Mumbai’s worsening aerial quality, connected Monday (December 22, 2025) questioned whether the Bandra East crippled chosen for its caller gathering figures successful Mumbai’s mediocre aerial prime reports and directed the municipal commissioner and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) main to look successful idiosyncratic connected Tuesday (December 22, 2025). 

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad were reviewing a committee study connected aerial contamination erstwhile it flagged “serious lapses” astatine the authorities colony being demolished for the ₹4,000-crore High Court complex. The inspection, carried retired earlier this period astatine 36 locations, recovered nary dust-control measures, uncovered debris, and unsafe retention of state cylinders astatine the site. Vehicles carrying rubble were besides seen without covers, and determination was nary CCTV oregon sensor-based monitoring. 

The report stated, “Demolition enactment is being carried retired without immoderate barricading oregon particulate suppression. Debris is lying scattered, and vehicles transporting rubble are uncovered. Gas cylinders utilized for alloy cutting are stored connected pavements, posing information hazards.” 

In its earlier observations, the Court had noted that the committee recovered wide non-compliance with basal pollution-control norms crossed the city. It recorded that “construction sites lacked sprinklers, smog guns, and due barricading,” and pointed retired that adjacent large projects were ignoring guidelines meant to curb particulate and particulate matter. 

Calling the concern “a implicit nonaccomplishment of enforcement,” the judges said accountability indispensable remainder with the heads of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and MPCB. 

The Court had antecedently ordered strict compliance with norms specified arsenic h2o sprinkling, smog guns, and surveillance astatine operation sites, and acceptable up a five-member sheet to monitor progress. 

On December 15, the Court had expressed alarm implicit Mumbai’s “toxic air” and warned that the city’s AQI levels were consistently successful the mediocre category. It had directed the civic assemblage to submit a elaborate compliance study and outline future plans to curb pollution, including measures for operation dust, vehicular emissions, and concern pollutants. 

The Court said the demolition signifier cannot worsen Mumbai’s already mediocre aerial quality, which has remained in the “unhealthy” scope for weeks. 

The substance volition beryllium heard again connected December 23. 

Published - December 23, 2025 12:34 americium IST

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