Mumbai: The Bombay High Court delivered a stinging rebuke to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday, accusing the civic body of inaction and indifference in tackling Mumbai’s worsening air pollution. The court made it clear that the city’s pollution crisis is not a lack-of-power issue but a failure of intent and execution.
A bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad expressed strong displeasure, stating that the BMC had neither a concrete strategy nor a proactive approach to enforce pollution control norms. The judges observed that despite having extensive legal powers and detailed guidelines, the civic body had failed to act decisively.
The court pointed out that issuing notices after violations occur cannot be treated as enforcement. Instead, it stressed that pollution control must be preventive, backed by continuous monitoring and on-ground action. The bench underlined that Mumbai already has a 38-point pollution control framework, but the lack of strict implementation has rendered it ineffective.
When the BMC informed the court that only 39 special squads had inspected pollution-prone sites, the judges questioned why the remaining teams were not deployed. The civic body cited election duties as the reason, drawing sharp criticism from the court. The bench said that protecting public health cannot take a backseat and that the BMC should have sought exemptions from the Election Commission, given the seriousness of the issue.
The hearing also saw strong remarks from petitioners, who argued that the right to life cannot be compromised under administrative excuses. The court echoed this concern, stating that the BMC was failing to exercise its authority despite repeated judicial directions.
