The Bombay High Court has set up a high-powered committee (HPC) to recommend steps to curb and prevent air pollution in Mumbai and the wider metropolitan region.
According to PTI, the committee will be chaired by Amjad Sayed, former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, with former Bombay High Court judge Anuja Prabhudessai as a member.
Mandate and oversight role
In an order dated January 29, the Bombay High Court said the HPC will oversee compliance with its directions on air pollution and examine weekly reports submitted by ward-level assistant municipal commissioners.
A bench led by Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar said the committee will make recommendations to civic bodies and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on immediate, medium- and long-term measures to combat and prevent air pollution in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), which includes districts adjoining the financial capital.
Expert inputs and focus on vulnerable groups
The panel is empowered to seek inputs from technical and medical experts, including specialists in paediatric pulmonology, to address the impact of pollution on vulnerable groups such as infants and children, reported PTI.
GRAP for Mumbai, Navi Mumbai
As per PTI, the HPC will also advise on the formulation of a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) specifically for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the court order said.
The court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay each committee member an honorarium of Rs 1,00,000 per sitting.
The BMC has also been instructed to provide full logistical support to the committee, including office space and a nodal officer.
Any refusal by officials to assist the HPC will be treated as a breach of court orders and may invite contempt proceedings, the court warned.
Timeline and background
According to PTI, the committee is expected to meet weekly and submit its preliminary report to the court by March 5.
On January 29, the court had observed that steps taken by authorities to tackle air pollution were “not sufficient and satisfactory”. The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of rising air pollution levels in Mumbai and adjoining areas in October 2023.
(With PTI inputs)
