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The bench pointed out that the Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently indicates that the air quality is deteriorating every day and everywhere, and there is not a single area in Mumbai that remains unaffected by deteriorating air quality
The Bombay High Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the poor Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city of Mumbai.
The division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Devendra K Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor issued notice to the BMC, Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The division bench directed the BMC, MPCB, and SPCB to respond and provide information about the steps they have taken in response to the increasing bad Air Quality Index (AQI).
The bench pointed out that the Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently indicates that the air quality is deteriorating every day and everywhere, and there is not a single area in Mumbai that remains unaffected by deteriorating air quality.
The Bombay High Court took suo moto cognizance of a petition filed by a city-based resident, Amar Baban Tike, who sought directions to be issued to the Municipal Commissioner of BMC and the Government of Maharashtra.
The high court will now hear the suo moto PIL on 6th December 2023.
Tike's petition called for the allocation of sufficient funds and resources for the immediate plantation of fast-growing plants and trees to increase the green cover of Mumbai city.
The petition also sought the constitution of a three-member committee to ensure the implementation of the high court's orders.
The petition argued that the authorities had not fulfilled their statutory duties and had not effectively controlled air pollution by planting a substantial number of trees.
The petitioner emphasized that the adverse effects of these environmental issues were primarily borne by marginalized communities and non-human species.
“That the poor and dis-privileged classes of humans and the other non-human species unfortunately have to bear the main brunt of these environmental problems. Ironically, the crisis is rooted deep in social, economic and political structures, more specifically in relations of inequity of three kind's Intra-generational inequity, Intra-generational inequity, and Inter-species inequity,” the plea reads.
Case title: High Court On Its Own Motion
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