Mumbai Masala: An Air Of Concern - High Time Officials Address Persistent Pollution Woes

It’s most unfortunate that the Bombay High Court had to repeatedly pull up the state pollution board and the BMC to get their act together with regard to air pollution. The reluctance of these bodies to come down heavily on the polluters is unfathomable. Is there corruption in this also? If the answer is ‘yes’, then it is an extremely alarming situation. The right to clean air is a fundamental right. Mumbai will suffer irreparable damage if there is no clean air. Because of poor AQI, lakhs of Mumbaikars are suffering from sore throat, cough, and other ailments. Do citizens have to run to the high court just to be able to breathe clean air? It is high time the officials concerned do something drastic before the situation turns worse.

Books, newspapers can be new chapters on fighting digital addiction among kids

Author and communications specialist Rita Gupta charmed the audience at Nerul Gymkhana on Sunday morning with a delightful talk on reading. She was speaking under the auspices of Read to Lead, an informal organisation that has been holding interesting talks and discussions around books on the first Sunday of every month for the past nine years. Rita explained how important it is to read at least for 30 minutes to your children. This not only helps children expand their mental vision, but also strengthens family bonds. She said the increase in screen time of the young generation was so worrying that governments are banning screen time for those below 13 years of age. In Mumbai, we are witnessing screen time addiction of near-epidemic proportions. High time book and newspaper habits are encouraged on a war-footing.

Food hunt: From Aduppu to Maharashtrian Bhakri

While in Nerul we decided to check out “Aduppu” restaurant for lunch. “Aduppu” in Tamil and Malayalam means the kitchen stove. The place was very small. You are required to eat from plates kept on stools. The overall ambience was unappetizing and hence we decided to exit the place. Luckily near Seawood station we spotted a clean-looking joint called Maharashtrian Bhakri. The interior was unpretentious, but the food was simply yum. We ordered jowarachi bhakris, zunka and washed it down with cool solkadi and taak. The bhakris were large and hot, while the zunka was freshly made and the best we had in years. Service was polite and the price pocket-friendly.

Tailpiece

A wag commented: The speed with which Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the deputy CM was so fast that even Maggi noodles would feel left behind. (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)

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Published on: Monday, February 02, 2026, 12:12 PM IST