Mumbai:
The Bombay Excessive Court docket on Thursday puzzled if there could be an answer for air air pollution within the metropolis or if residents must proceed seeing haze every year after Diwali.
It additionally instructed that bakeries needs to be prohibited from utilizing wooden and charcoal and batted for CNG and electrical automobiles.
A division bench of Chief Justice D Okay Upadhyaya and Justice Girish Kulkarni stated whereas all authorities are broadly conscious of the issues and the explanations behind Mumbai’s depleting Air High quality Index (AQI), the answer and measures to be taken must be arrived at instantly.
The bench had in 2023 taken suo moto (by itself) cognisance of the poor air high quality within the metropolis and state.
On Thursday, the courtroom famous that every yr the scenario is identical after Diwali.
“What’s the answer in such conditions? All this begins yearly after Diwali. Broadly we all know the issues and the causes… so now what’s the answer? Or will we proceed to see this haze yearly throughout Mumbai? There may be such low visibility on some days,” the bench stated.
The courtroom famous that in 2023 it had permitted the bursting of firecrackers just for a number of hours every day through the Diwali competition however its directive was not applied in any respect.
“We noticed firecrackers being burst even as much as 1 am within the morning regardless of our orders. The implementing companies didn’t observe our orders in any respect,” it stated.
The courtroom stated it was sorry to notice that no proactive measures have been taken by the authorities.
“Solely when the courtroom passes orders, one thing is completed. Everyone seems to be affected. You (authorities) clearly must take extra drastic measures. When will the air pollution ranges come down? Except one thing drastic is completed the scenario will not come underneath management,” the courtroom stated.
The bench identified to the air pollution precipitated because of rising variety of autos on the highway and likewise bakeries throughout town utilizing wooden and coal to make their merchandise.
The courtroom stated bakeries needs to be now prohibited from utilizing wooden or coal and change to fuel.
It added that folks needs to be inspired to make use of CNG or electrical automobiles as a substitute of those operating on petrol or diesel.
The courtroom additionally famous that a good portion of air pollution is attributable to building within the metropolis and was not appreciative of the stand taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) {that a} alternative must be made between improvement and clear air.
Senior counsel Milind Sathe, showing for the BMC, stated there was nothing stunning or horrifying within the civic physique’s stance.
“We can’t cease improvement however we’re taking mitigating motion,” Sathe stated.
The courtroom then stated the motion has not abated the scenario and extra measures must be taken.
The HC stated it might cross an in depth order directing the federal government and different authorities to take sure measures to deal with the difficulty.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
