HC sets up high-level panel to monitor BMC, MPCB on worsening Mumbai air quality

The Bombay High Court has constituted a high-level committee to oversee the work of the Mumbai municipal corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), as air quality in Mumbai city and the suburbs continues to deteriorate.

The committee comprises Amjad A. Sayed, former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Anuja Prabhudessai, retired judge of the Bombay High Court.

The committee will check whether the court's earlier directions are being followed. It will also examine the reports submitted by the municipal corporations and is responsible for suggesting short-term, medium-term and long-term measures to curb pollution.

The High Court had earlier appointed another committee that inspects construction sites and investigates violations of pollution control norms. The new committee will also review that committee's findings. It has also been asked to consider measures such as implementing a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

The court took the decision because pollution has persisted despite its repeated interventions. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shri Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad said the compliance affidavits filed by the municipal corporations and the MPCB showed no significant improvement in air quality.

The judges listed several shortcomings. Many construction sites do not have air quality monitoring instruments. The enforcement squads of the municipal corporations are not carrying out inspections properly. Violations found in earlier inspections were not acted upon appropriately. The Bench also said that construction material, debris and soil lying in the open at many places was a matter of serious concern.

The court expressed concern at the lack of accountability despite heavy spending on pollution control. It noted that Rs 360 crore had been provided for ward-level cleanliness programmes for 2024-25, but the expected improvement was not visible. The judges also questioned the effectiveness of the MPCB's enforcement system. They said merely filing compliance affidavits does not prove that pollution control measures are being implemented effectively on the ground.

The committee has been empowered to consult experts in the environment and medical fields, hold meetings and, if necessary, visit sites. It will submit a preliminary report by March 5 and report to the court every month thereafter.

The High Court has also warned that any authority or individual that fails to cooperate with the committee or follow its directions could face contempt of court proceedings.