Mumbai's air: High Court orders BMC, police and pollution board chiefs to appear on 26 October; firecrackers barred on roads, lanes and footpaths all year

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, 21 October, sharply criticised the authorities for failing to enforce its orders on Mumbai's air and noise pollution. A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale directed the BMC commissioner, the Mumbai police commissioner and the head of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to appear before it on Monday, 26 October, and explain what they have done. The hearing was in a public interest case the court took up on its own about pollution during festivals. With Diwali close, the key rule for Mumbaikars is this: no firecrackers on public roads, streets, lanes or footpaths, on any day of the year.

What the court ordered on 21 October

• The BMC commissioner, the police commissioner and the MPCB chief must be present in court on 26 October (Free Press Journal, eSakal, ETV Bharat). Outlook reported that the BMC and police commissioners must also file affidavits by that date.
• By Saturday, 24 October, the BMC and the MPCB must put out notices, in the press and on social media, stating that crackers may not be set off on any road, street, lane or footpath and explaining how cracker smoke and noise harm health.
• The police commissioner must meet the in-charge officer of every police station, make sure they know the court's orders, and file an affidavit confirming compliance.
• A standard operating procedure for acting against violators is to be drawn up (Outlook).
• No firecrackers at all in silence zones, the areas around hospitals, schools, courts and government offices (Outlook).
• If the lapses continue, the officials concerned will be answerable personally and could face contempt action, the bench warned.

Why the court was unhappy

The bench noted that despite detailed directions on 22 September and 15 October, the BMC and the MPCB had not issued even a basic public notice. During Dasara processions, crackers were burst on busy roads, processions went ahead without permission, and police on the spot did not know about the court's orders, it said. "What is the point in having paper orders?" the judges asked, according to the Free Press Journal. Remarking that Mumbai's pollution was overtaking Delhi's, the court also asked why there was no effective action against construction dust and illegal dumping of debris, and said the rules and procedures appeared to have no effect on the ground.

What the earlier orders say

• 22 September: ahead of Ganeshotsav, the court said crackers could not be burst on public roads at festival time.
• 15 October: the court made the bar apply all year and to every festival.
• At that hearing the court said making and selling crackers were not banned, nor were celebrations in general.
• It asked for an awareness drive: programmes in schools, public announcements, plus boards on buses and trains and at bus stops, and encouragement to use green or low-emission crackers and stick to the permitted hours.
• It also asked the civic bodies, the MPCB and the police to set up a way for people to report violations by phone, email or an app. None of the reports we read mentions such a helpline being announced yet.

Mumbai's air this week

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin for 22 October (24-hour average up to 4 pm) put Mumbai's AQI at 102, in the 'moderate' band. The main pollutant was PM10, coarser dust particles. 23 of the city's 26 stations reported.
• The day before, 21 October, the figure was 113 ('moderate'), with PM2.5 as the main pollutant.
• Nearby on 22 October: Navi Mumbai 104 and Thane 104 ('moderate'), Kalyan 97 ('satisfactory'). The same bulletin gave Delhi 223 ('poor').
• The 'third most polluted city in the world' line comes from the live list of IQAir, a private company. Navbharat Live reported that on 22 October Mumbai was third among 122 major cities on that list, up from fifth a week earlier. The list changes every hour and uses the US AQI scale, so it cannot be compared directly with the CPCB figure.

What to keep in mind this Diwali

• Don't burst crackers in any public place such as a road, street, lane or footpath. The ban applies all year, not only during festivals.
• No crackers near a hospital, school, court or government office.
• For permitted hours, watch for the BMC-MPCB public notice due by 24 October and any police order. We have not yet seen a report of this year's timings for Mumbai.
• A procession using loudspeakers needs police permission, which must be displayed prominently, under the 22 September directions.
• To check the air where you live, use CPCB's SAMEER app or airquality.cpcb.gov.in. India's AQI bands: 0-50 good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, 401-500 severe.

Looking after your health

From the Union health ministry's advisory on air pollution:

• Children, pregnant women, older people, people with heart or lung disease, and those who work outdoors all day are at higher risk.
• When the AQI is 'poor' or worse, avoid exercising outdoors early in the morning and at night, and keep doors and windows shut at those times.
• Avoid firecrackers, and don't burn rubbish or leaves in the open.
• If you wear a mask, use a well-fitting N95 or N99; cloth masks and handkerchiefs do not give enough protection.
• See a doctor if you have breathlessness, a cough, chest pain, or red, watery eyes.

The case will be heard next on Monday, 26 October, when the court expects to hear from the BMC, the police and the MPCB.

Sources: Free Press Journal (22 October); Free Press Journal Marathi; eSakal; ETV Bharat Marathi (22 October); Outlook India; Aapla Mahanagar; Free Press Journal (15 October); UNI (15 October); CPCB daily AQI bulletin (22 October 2026); CPCB daily AQI bulletin (21 October 2026); Navbharat Live (22 October); Union health ministry: health advisory on air pollution