Mumbai pollution ‘surpassing’ Delhi is ‘shocking’, says Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said that it was “shocking” that Mumbai’s pollution levels had surpassed those in Delhi, despite the city’s natural geographical advantages, Bar and Bench reported.

“The city has a sea breeze coming, which has a lot of open spaces, the whole openness of the sea, still we are facing this…,” the legal news outlet quoted the bench as saying. “[The authorities] should see to it that Mumbai skies are clear.”

On Thursday, Delhi recorded an air quality index of 223, in the “poor” category, at 3.20 pm. Mumbai’s AQI stood at 102, in the “moderate” category, according to the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board.

Over the past week, Mumbai has been experiencing smog and reduced visibility.

Referring to reports that visibility in the city had fallen below 500 metres on Tuesday, The Indian Express quoted the bench as asking: “If this is the state of affairs, who is bothered?”

The court also pulled up the municipal authorities, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the police for failing to implement its orders on air and noise pollution. The remarks came a day after the Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations ended on Tuesday.

The bench said that the police had been “extremely slow” to enforce its orders, including...

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