Mumbai Air Pollution: HC Orders Five-Member Panel To Inspect Construction Sites

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the formation of a five-member team comprising officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Health Department, the Maharashtra Pollution Control

Board (MPCB), and members of civil society to examine the rising air pollution in Mumbai.

The team has been asked to conduct inspections in a specific area of the city and submit its report by December 15 on whether air pollution control guidelines are being followed at construction sites.

The panel will include one official each from the BMC, the Health Department, and the MPCB. The remaining two members will be from civil society, with their names having been suggested by lawyers present in court.

The court was hearing multiple petitions on the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai, which lawyers for the petitioners said has been steadily declining since 2023. It directed the BMC and the MPCB to submit a report by December 15 outlining the steps taken over the past year to curb air pollution.

“This will take some time. Delhi has been struggling since more than 15 years now. Mumbai, in fact, has some benefits. In Mumbai, it can be done,” the court said.

Chief Justice Chandrashekhar said that improving air quality would require sustained effort, noting that Delhi has been grappling with pollution for over 15 years. However, he added that Mumbai could deliver better outcomes if the right measures are implemented.

The court also sought greater transparency on the BMC’s monitoring efforts, including inspections by special squads and the installation of CCTV cameras and sensor-based air pollution monitors at construction sites.

“Let us ensure that construction sites and dust pollution are tackled. It can be done immediately in one to two weeks. That would be some effective measures,” the bench said.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, appointed by the court, said the 2024 guidelines for construction sites, such as water sprinkling, use of sensors and CCTV monitoring, were not being implemented uniformly. The court observed that while vehicular pollution is also a concern, it can be taken up at a later stage.

The bench stressed that immediate action could be taken to reduce dust and construction-related pollution within one to two weeks if guidelines were properly followed.