Bombay HC slams BMC and MPCB over Mumbai’s poor air quality

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court slammed both the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for failing to follow earlier orders issued by the court to curb the air pollution in Mumbai. The court has shown grave concern about pollution arising from construction sites, industrial waste, and garbage burning. HC ordered both the organizations to install pollution monitoring devices at construction sites and other regions in the city. They have to submit their report by June 12.

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The court had taken up this issue on its own in 2023, after observing the deterioration of Mumbai’s air quality. The air quality of the city is often categorized in the “poor” or “very poor” category, which leads to several diseases. Doctors said that breathing issues have increased about 30% among children. The level of dangerous particulate matter (PM) in the air was more than double the safe limit set by national standards.

Back in January 2025, the court had already told MPCB to check industries that were heavily polluting the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), ordering the installation of pollution monitoring equipment at construction sites.

The latest hearing took place on Tuesday, in which senior lawyer Janak Dwarkadas, representing environmental group Vanashakti, said that authorities have not installed monitoring devices yet. The court’s action is a stern warning for officials to do something fast to mitigate Mumbai’s increasing pollution levels.