Mumbai:
The Bombay High Court on Thursday wondered whether there would be a solution to the city's air pollution or whether citizens would have to continue seeing haze every year after Diwali.
It also suggested that bakeries should be banned from using wood and charcoal and they should operate for CNG and electric cars.
A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Girish Kulkarni said that while all authorities are broadly aware of the issues and reasons behind the depleting Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai, an immediate solution and action should be taken.
The bank had taken suo moto (on its own) notice of the poor air quality in the city and the state in 2023.
On Thursday, the court noted that the situation after Diwali is the same every year.
“What is the solution in such situations? This all starts after Diwali every year. Broadly speaking, we know the problems and the causes… so what is the solution now? Or will we continue to see this haze all over Mumbai every year? so poorly visible on some days,” the bank said.
The court noted that it had allowed the release of fireworks during the Diwali festival for only a few hours a day in 2023, but the directive was not implemented at all.
“We saw fireworks going off even until 1am in the morning despite our orders. The implementing agencies did not follow our orders at all,” the report said.
The court regrets that the authorities have not taken proactive measures.
“Only when the court issues orders will anything be done. Everyone is affected. You (authorities) clearly need to take more drastic measures. When will the pollution levels come down? Unless something drastic is done, the situation will not come under control. “, the court said.
The bench pointed out the pollution caused by the increasing number of vehicles on the road and also by bakeries in the city that use wood and coal to make their products.
According to the court, bakeries should now be prohibited from using wood or coal and from switching to gas.
It added that people should be encouraged to use CNG or electric cars instead of those that run on petrol or diesel.
The court also noted that a significant portion of pollution is caused by construction work in the city and did not appreciate the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) stand that there is a choice to be made between development and clean air.
Senior counsel Milind Sathe, appearing for the BMC, said there was nothing shocking or heinous in the civic body's stand.
“We cannot stop development but we are taking mitigation measures,” Sathe said.
The court then said that the action has not alleviated the situation and that more measures should be taken.
The HC said it would pass a detailed order directing the government and other authorities to take certain measures to address the problem.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)