UPDATED: Oct 22, 2026 17:28 IST
The Bombay High Court has expressed serious concern over deteriorating air quality in Mumbai, questioning how civic and state authorities can sleep peacefully while citizens struggle to breathe. Pollution levels in the city have increasingly rivalled and surpassed those of the national capital. The court criticised slow enforcement, poor public warning, and ongoing violations of firecracker bans on public streets, footpaths, and near hospitals and schools. In addition to festival firecrackers, extensive construction dust from mega redevelopment, Metro, and coastal road projects, alongside vehicle emissions and weak post-monsoon winds, has severely degraded the city's air. The court highlighted a lackadaisical approach from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, directing authorities to formulate strict enforcement protocols and submit compliance reports.
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