Mumbai News English news | Mumbai News, Latest News & Live Updates in English | English News (Latest English News) at Lokmattimes.com

Mumbai’s air quality crisis has intensified, drawing concern from residents and courts alike after viral images showed the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and parts of the skyline vanish under dense smog. Photographs taken just weeks apart—from Malabar Hill, Bandra, and Mazgaon—revealed a dramatic decline in visibility, with once-clear views now hidden behind thick haze. The deterioration reflects a sharp spike in AQI, rising from 54 in late October to well above 250 by late November. On Friday, Mumbai recorded an overall hazardous AQI of 281, with local hotspots like Wadala touching nearly 400. While a state representative suggested Ethiopian volcanic ash may have worsened the situation, the Bombay High Court dismissed the claim, stating the city’s air had already become unbreathable long before the eruption.The alarming visuals have heightened pressure on authorities, prompting stronger legal intervention. The Bombay High Court, which has been monitoring the situation since 2023, observed that poor enforcement—not lack of rules—is worsening pollution. During a recent hearing, the bench noted that even stepping outside offered limited visibility beyond 500 metres, raising questions about whether government bodies had acted swiftly enough to protect public health. The court remarked that Mumbai’s situation is nearing Delhi-like conditions, despite longstanding warnings about rising particulate matter, vehicle emissions and unregulated development.To address the crisis, the court constituted an independent five-member committee to inspect construction sites—identified as a major contributor to dust pollution. The committee, comprising officials from the BMC, MPCB, public health department and two advocates, will verify whether builders are following mandatory mitigation measures such as dust covers, water sprinkling and functioning pollution sensors. Data presented in court highlighted serious gaps: of 1,000 construction sites, only 400 have sensors and nearly half of those are non-functional. Despite the BMC stating it has deployed 64 special squads and issued stop-work notices to 53 sites, the court noted enforcement remains largely “on paper.”While construction dust remains a major focus, experts and activists also flagged vehicle emissions, roadworks and unchecked permissions as systemic gaps. However, the court cautioned against aggressive measures that could result in citizen harassment, such as mass challans or impounding vehicles. Instead, the bench advised a phased solution combining strict monitoring, realistic enforcement and long-term planning. As Mumbai continues to choke under smog, the court stressed that immediate, measurable action—not temporary blame or reactive responses—is urgent to bring pollution levels within safe limits and prevent the city’s skyline from fading further into a toxic haze.

Mumbai NewsFOLLOW

Mumbai news, Latest News

The Powai Police have arrested the manager of a hotel who was allegedly operating a sex racket under ... ...

In a shocking incident reported from the Andheri area, a six-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to brutal assault ... ...

A 65-year-old senior citizen from Malad has been defrauded of ₹7.60 lakh by an unknown cyber fraudster who ... ...

A shocking case of honeytrap and robbery has come to light in Mumbai, where a man was assaulted with ... ...

The Mumbai Police have cracked the mystery behind the murder of a senior citizen in the Himalaya ... ...

A shocking incident of molestation has been reported from Goregaon, where a 23-year-old social media influencer was ... ...

Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik announced on Friday that an upcoming pod taxi service will connect Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Navi ... ...

Mumbai’s air quality crisis has intensified, drawing concern from residents and courts alike after viral images showed the Bandra-Worli ... ...