The right to breathe clean air is a fundamental right and fresh air was the need of the hour, the Bombay High Court said on Monday while urging authorities to come up with a solution to address the pollution and odour emanating from Kanjurmarg dumping ground in the metropolis.

A bench of Justice G S Kulkarni and Justice Aarti Sathe termed the situation as an “emergency” and noted that the right to breathe clean air was a fundamental right. “Fresh air is the need of the hour. Breathing itself has become difficult because of pollution,” the court said.