Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the government’s proposal to cut trees in the Tapovan area of Nashik for the construction of a ‘sadhu gram’—a temporary settlement for seers and saints during the 2026–27 Kumbh Mela

Mumbai is currently experiencing a sharp deterioration in its Air Quality Index (AQI), prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to issue stop-work notices to 53 construction sites for contributing to dust pollution

Pollution has risen at an alarming rate in Mumbai, and reports indicate that the air has become hazardous, Uddhav Thackeray said

Those in power may blame the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, but that has nothing to do with the situation here, Uddhav said

This pollution is the explosion of corruption that has engulfed Mumbai and Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray alleged

He said that during his tenure as chief minister, he had halted the Aarey Metro car shed project and instead opted for the Kanjurmarg site