The Court sought responses from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the steps taken by them to tackle the issue.
On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court proactively acknowledged the escalating air pollution and deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and its surrounding areas.
A divisional bench, presided over by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor, took suo moto cognizance of the situation, highlighting several newspaper articles that underscored a noticeable decline in the Air Quality Index (AQI) within the metropolitan region.
“We have independently observed the declining AQI. Each day, the AQI in various regions is deteriorating, and there is virtually no area in Mumbai left unaffected. The court will issue notices and seek responses. Subsequently, we will explore actions to be taken by other municipal corporations,” stated the bench.
In response to the concerning situation, the court sought explanations from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) regarding the initiatives they have implemented to combat this issue.
Additionally, three Mumbai residents, namely Amar Tike, Anand Jha, and Sanjay Surve, submitted a public interest petition against the Maharashtra government and BMC. Their plea entailed a request for directives on curbing air pollution within the city.
The petitioners urged the government to take immediate action, emphasizing the need to enhance green spaces by planting fast-growing trees in public areas. The PIL also sought an inquiry into the operations of the Garden and Trees Department over the past decade, including details concerning budget allocations and expenditures.
The divided court scheduled a hearing for both cases on November 6.
