The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the deteriorating air quality in the financial capital three years ago and has repeatedly urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to implement effective measures to curb pollution
The AQI, which has six categories, is a tool used to assess air quality and indicates how clean or polluted the air is. File Pic
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over Mumbai’s air quality index (AQI) remaining at a “moderate” level and said it would take up the case of Mumbai air pollution for detailed examination on January 23, reported the PTI.
According to the PTI, the court had taken suo motu cognisance of the deteriorating air quality in the financial capital three years ago and has repeatedly urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to implement effective measures to curb pollution.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam sought an update on the current AQI levels in the city. Senior counsel S U Kamdar, appearing for the BMC, informed the court that Mumbai’s AQI was in the moderate range of 100 to 140.
Visibly unimpressed, the court remarked, “We are not satisfied with moderate.”
As per PTI, Kamdar submitted that the civic body had taken steps to mitigate air pollution and had filed an affidavit detailing the measures. The court said it would examine the issue further on Friday.
The BMC informed the court that it has undertaken “focused follow-up inspections and enforcement action” at construction sites across Mumbai. Submitting a comparative chart of AQI levels over the past four years, the civic body stated that Mumbai follows a consistent seasonal pattern, with higher pollution levels during winter and lower levels during the monsoon.
According to PTI, the corporation claimed that compared to 2023, the AQI improved by 22 per cent in 2024 and by 26 per cent in 2025.
According to the affidavit, over the past two months, the BMC issued 408 show-cause notices and 284 stop-work notices for non-compliance with anti-pollution norms. Of the 1,954 ongoing construction sites in the city, 662 were served stop-work notices for failing to install sensor-based air quality monitors within the prescribed deadline.
The AQI, which has six categories, is a tool used to assess air quality and indicates how clean or polluted the air is. Higher AQI values correspond to higher levels of air pollution.
Mumbai records satisfactory air quality with AQI at 82 on Tuesday
Meanwhile, Mumbai on Tuesday experienced a calm and pleasant winter morning, with mild temperatures and clear skies offering a comfortable start to the day. The early hours were cooler than usual for the city, bringing respite from humidity and providing refreshing conditions for morning walkers and daily commuters.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast maximum and minimum temperatures of around 31 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively, for Mumbai on Tuesday.
According to IMD observations, the Colaba weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius during the morning hours, while Santacruz reported a lower minimum of 16 degrees Celsius.
Air quality across the city remained largely satisfactory. Data from the Sameer app showed Mumbai’s AQI at 82 on Tuesday, which falls under the ‘satisfactory’ category. Authorities, however, cautioned that even at this level, people with respiratory ailments, asthma, or heart-related conditions may experience mild breathing discomfort.
(With PTI inputs)
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