Mumbai's air pollution has grown serious enough that Bombay High Court judges questioned how enforcement officials could still "sleep peacefully" while residents faced what the court described as an emergency situation, according to the Hindustan Times, citing Bar and Bench.
The judges also took note of reports that Mumbai had moved past Delhi on pollution indexes and that the city's visibility had dropped below 1,640 feet (500 meters).
Here's what to know
A division bench of the Bombay High Court rebuked civic authorities, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, and the police for not enforcing its orders on air and noise pollution during festivals and religious processions.
The issue was before the court in a suo motu public interest litigation on pollution, meaning the judges had taken it up on their own. The Hindustan Times said they said the court's orders kept being ignored, particularly when it came to sound systems used during processions and firecrackers set off along public roads.
Justice Kulkarni said Mumbai was not benefiting from natural features that should help it. "This is shocking. The city has a sea breeze coming, which has a lot of open spaces, the whole openness of the sea, still we are facing this... You should see to it that Mumbai skies are clear," the Bench added, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
Mumbai's air quality index remained in the 150 to 200 range, according to aqi.in, as cited by the Hindustan Times.
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Reports that Mumbai had overtaken Delhi on pollution indexes prompted the bench to invoke the capital, a city often treated as India's benchmark for severe air pollution.
What's being done?
Bar and Bench reported that the court faulted authorities for letting processions use sound systems without first requiring organizers to get approval and commit in writing to its decibel limits.
The court also objected to firecrackers being set off on crowded city streets, saying the problem wasn't being properly addressed, and said authorities had failed to communicate pollution rules and restrictions to the public.
While it is unclear what will happen next, the Hindustan Times noted that pollution will likely increase even more soon. As Diwali approaches in early November, there may be even more fireworks going off.
Where can I learn more?
Cities elsewhere are trying a range of measures to tackle the same air and noise pollution concerns.
• Across C40 cities, clean air zones are expanding to curb traffic-linked urban pollution.
• In London, England, ultra-low emissions rules were tied to measurable health gains for children.
• A city-center car ban in Stockholm, Sweden, aims to cut both noise and smog.
• In Oslo, Norway, electric construction machinery is replacing diesel equipment to reduce street-level noise and emissions.
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