Mumbai, Feb 03: Alarmed by persistently high air pollution levels and what it termed a “lackadaisical approach” by civic authorities, the Bombay High Court has appointed former judges Justice Amjad Sayed and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai to head a High Power Committee (HPC) tasked with monitoring and enforcing measures to curb air pollution in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
High Court constitutes High Power Committee
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, on January 29, said the committee would supervise compliance with the court’s earlier directions, review reports submitted by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and recommend immediate, medium- and long-term steps to control pollution. The detailed order naming the retired judges was made available on Tuesday.
Little improvement despite coordination panel
The court recorded that despite a High-Level Coordination Committee being constituted under a government resolution dated February 5, 2024, little improvement was visible on the ground. As of March 18, 2024, the MMR had 7,268 red-category and 7,841 orange-category industries, many of which were potential major polluters.
“There is no dispute that the air pollution level in the city of Mumbai has not gone down; rather, in the month of December 2025 it was reported very severe,” the bench observed in the detailed order.
Concerns over public spending
The court also expressed concern over public expenditure, noting that although Rs 360 crore was allocated in 2024–25 for ward-level deep cleaning, “nothing worthwhile has been reported”. It added, “The Court shall obviously be concerned about the spending of public money without any substantial result.”
Construction activity under scrutiny
Despite thousands of notices and stop-work orders issued by civic bodies, the bench said these figures indicated that construction permissions, NOCs and statutory clearances were granted “without bestowing attention to the possibility of a large-scale pollution being generated”.
The court recalled that it had earlier warned of drastic steps, including banning the transport of construction material and reconsidering permissions for further construction if air quality failed to improve.
Sharp criticism of MPCB
The bench was particularly critical of the MPCB, observing that it appeared to be “simply sailing on its affidavit” without demonstrating effective enforcement. It also noted the absence or non-functioning of air quality monitors at several construction sites, inadequate inspections, and uncovered construction debris lying across the city.
HPC mandate and reporting timeline
The HPC, headed by Justice Sayed (former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court) and Justice Prabhudessai (former judge of the Bombay High Court), will submit a preliminary report by March 5, 2026, followed by monthly reports. It may also consult environmental and medical experts and suggest additional measures to ensure effective compliance.
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Warning of contempt action
Warning of strict consequences, the court said any failure to assist or comply with the HPC’s directions would amount to a breach of its order and could lead to contempt proceedings.
The High Court has been monitoring Mumbai’s air quality since 2023, when it took suo motu cognisance of worsening pollution levels and issued a series of directions to civic and regulatory authorities.
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