A heavy blanket of smog covered several parts of Mumbai on Friday as air quality deteriorated across the city. A dense haze was seen over the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and the nearby pockets early in the morning, with several monitoring stations reporting ‘poor’ AQI levels.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed an AQI reading of 152 at BKC at 7 am. Other areas also recorded a spike in the pollution levels-Chembur (138), Malad West (136), Ghatkopar (139) and Mazgaon (134). Residents told ANI that breathing and outdoor activities have become increasingly difficult. One senior citizen of Bandra stated that the rising pollution has made it harder to even step outside, while a local cyclist described the air as “extremely polluted” for more than a week.
Bombay High Court dismisses volcanic ash explanation
A CNBC report stated that the Bombay High Court has strongly criticised the Maharashtra government for attributing Mumbai’s worsening pollution to volcanic ash from Ethiopia. Refusing to accept the explanation, the bench stated that the city’s AQI had been poor long before the volcanic eruption. Petitioners presented fresh AQI levels showing several areas surpassing 300, whereas parts of Navi Mumbai crossed 400, entering the “severe’ zone.
Earlier this week, IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told CNBC-TV 18 that the volcanic eruption has no relation to Mumbai’s pollution levels.
BMC intensifies action, leaders urge for emergency steps
Amid political reactions, Aaditya Thackeray took to X (Twitter) to slam the ruling government. In his post, he wrote, “Even as the AQI of Mumbai gets terrible each day, and we compete with Delhi in the “terrible AQI” race, the governments from top to bottom, currently controlled by the BJP and its allies, conveniently ignore the plight of the people…All they care about is builders and contractors and not citizens.” He also blamed the administration for prioritising construction, tree felling and “development” at the cost of the environment.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued 53 stop-work notices to construction sites found violating pollution-control norms. As per a PTI report, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi stated that AQI sensors must remain fully functional, warning of strict action if any device is non-operational. The civic body is inspecting 662 AQI monitoring systems, out of which 177 are currently not functional.
In another strong response, MP Milind Deora urged immediate measures on X, terming the situation a public-health emergency. In his social media post, he wrote, “Mumbai’s air pollution crisis is no longer a seasonal issue; it is a public health emergency…I have written to the BMC Commissioner appealing for immediate & extraordinary action, including a temporary halt on all digging & construction work until air quality improves.”