The Bombay High Court has decided to form a high-powered committee led by a former Supreme Court judge to monitor compliance with air pollution control measures in Mumbai and nearby areas. The court said steps taken so far by authorities are not sufficient and pollution levels have continued to remain severe.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it will form a high-powered committee to closely monitor whether authorities are actually following the steps ordered to control air pollution in Mumbai and nearby areas.
The court clearly stated that the actions taken so far by the State government, municipal corporations and pollution control authorities are not enough and have failed to show real results on the ground.
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar made it clear that the court was not blaming or targeting any authority, but its main concern was public health. The Bench said it was not criticizing anyone but wanted to ensure that
“people should live in pure air.”
The High Court recalled that it had taken suo motu cognisance of Mumbai’s worsening air quality in October 2023. At that time, pollution levels across the city were fluctuating across all categories,
“which was ranging between good, satisfactory, moderate poor, very poor and severe”,
the court noted.
Following this, on November 6, 2023, the High Court had passed detailed directions and also suggested several short-term, mid-term and long-term measures to address the growing pollution crisis in Mumbai. However, the Bench observed that even after these directions, the steps taken by civic bodies in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai were not satisfactory.
The judges said the court had repeatedly expressed its displeasure over the lack of effective action by municipal corporations and other authorities responsible for pollution control.
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The court made strong remarks against the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, saying it was simply “sailing on its affidavits,” while the steps it claimed to have taken were clearly not sufficient to reduce pollution levels.
The Bench also pointed out that air quality in Mumbai had not improved at all. Instead, pollution levels had worsened and were reported to be very severe in December. Referring to earlier orders, the court said,
“We have apprised ourselves of the previous orders, and find that compliances so far made by corporations and MPCB are not sufficient and satisfactory.”
The judges acknowledged that authorities may have taken some serious steps, but stressed that there was no visible impact of those steps on air quality. The court further noted the practical difficulty it was facing in examining the large number of affidavits filed by municipal corporations, the MPCB and expert committees. It said this was due to the
“rising number of dockets and limited hours and time.”
After hearing all parties in detail, the High Court decided that continuous judicial monitoring was necessary. It therefore ordered the formation of a high-powered committee to oversee the implementation of pollution-control measures in Mumbai and surrounding regions. The committee will be headed by a former Supreme Court judge and will be responsible for closely tracking compliance on a daily basis.
The Bench directed that the committee should meet every day and that all required facilities must be provided to enable it to function effectively. The court also took note of a suggestion made during the hearing that citizens who have suffered due to air pollution should be compensated.
In response, the lawyer representing the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation argued that there are already statutory bodies in place to deal with such matters. However, the court was not convinced. It observed,
“Maybe there are statutory bodies formed in Maharashtra, but then we have not come across any suggestion or action taken by such a body in the present proceedings…”
The High Court further indicated that it was inclined to grant “some powers” to the newly proposed committee so that it could function effectively and ensure accountability.
The court is now expected to finalise the names of the committee members and spell out their powers and responsibilities in a detailed written order to be passed soon.
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