Bombay High Court flags Mumbai's air quality now worse than Delhi's, slams officials

In a suo motu public-interest petition, the Bombay High Court declared that Mumbai's pollution levels have surpassed those of Delhi, calling the air-quality crisis "shocking." Justice Kulkarni emphasized that the city's natural advantages, such as sea breezes, are being wasted as the AQI remains in the 150-200 range and visibility dropped below 500 metres. The bench chastised the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and police for ignoring earlier directives on air and noise control, especially during festivals.

It highlighted repeated breaches of orders requiring prior permission for sound systems and the continued use of firecrackers on busy streets. The court also faulted authorities for not issuing public notices about the October 15 ban on firecrackers through newspapers, electronic or social media. Judges questioned how officials could sleep peacefully while millions of residents face what they described as an emergency situation.