The Bombay High Court has sent a strong message to civic authorities over the worsening air pollution in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, warning that senior officials could face financial consequences if they fail to act. During the hearing of a petition on deteriorating air quality, the court specifically cautioned the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation chief, stating that salaries of bureaucrats may be withheld if pollution control measures are not implemented effectively. The bench also reprimanded the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), highlighting the urgent need for authorities to take responsibility for safeguarding citizens’ health.
The court noted that a 2023 suo motu order had already directed municipal bodies and other authorities to address rising pollution levels. Despite these instructions, the bench observed, officials had largely remained passive, taking anti-pollution measures only after repeated court intervention. BMC lawyer SU Kamdar informed the court that stop-work notices had been issued to several construction sites and that 400 of the 600 required air quality monitors had been installed. However, the judges dismissed this as reactive compliance rather than genuine efforts to control pollution.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam, demanded comprehensive and detailed data on air quality monitoring. Authorities were asked to provide daily sensor readings for the three months preceding November 2025 to evaluate the situation accurately. The court emphasized that affidavits filed by both BMC and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation lacked ward-wise details, reflecting insufficient and insincere action by civic bodies. The judges stressed that monitoring numbers would offer an objective picture of pollution trends and help determine whether officials were genuinely committed to improving air quality.
The court’s sharp criticism stemmed from what it described as a “belligerent disregard” of prior orders. Highlighting the shared risk, the judges pointed out that civic officials themselves breathe the same polluted air as the public, and cannot operate in an “alien world” disconnected from reality. The bench underscored the need for accountability, warning that ignoring directives to control air pollution would not be tolerated. By linking financial penalties to inaction, the high court reinforced the urgency of the issue, urging municipal authorities to act decisively before public health is further compromised.