Mumbai Air Pollution: Bombay HC Calls It Shocking, Orders Police SOP
Image: PTI / The Week
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, 21 October, called it “shocking” that Mumbai is surpassing Delhi in pollution and ordered the Mumbai Police Commissioner to frame a standard operating procedure to enforce the ban on street firecrackers and unpermitted sound systems. A Bench of Justices Girish S Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale passed the order in a suo motu public interest litigation on noise and environmental pollution, after noting that visibility in the city had dropped below 500 metres on Tuesday, 20 October, according to Bar & Bench’s report of the hearing.
Police Chief Must File an Affidavit
The Commissioner has to call a meeting of all police station in-charges, frame the SOP and file an affidavit confirming that the bans are being enforced strictly. The Bench warned that dereliction by the police affecting citizens’ rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution would be viewed seriously, and that officials could be held accountable.
For residents, that means complaints about firecrackers on busy streets and loud music systems in processions are meant to reach a written enforcement procedure, not depend on the local station’s discretion.
Earlier Orders Not Followed, Says Court
The court criticised the civic authorities, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the police for not implementing its earlier orders on air and noise pollution during festivals. It pointed to music systems in processions running without prior permission and firecrackers burning on busy streets. “There appears to be routine violations of the orders passed by this Court,” the order said.
The PIL has been on the court’s board since 2023 and has already produced curbs on firecracker timings and on the transport of construction debris. Mumbai’s haze has been in the news this week; Delhi’s own air is forecast to stay very poor, with showers returning on 24 October.
Awareness Notices Due by 24 October
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the MPCB must publish public awareness notices on social media by 24 October and file compliance affidavits. The Bench will hear the matter next on 26 October. More updates are in our Daily Updates section.
Source: Based on reporting by Bar & Bench and LatestLY.
Image: PTI / The Week.
