The Bombay High Court on Friday revised the time for the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali to two hours, i.e. from 8 pm to 10 pm, in and around Mumbai in view of rising pollution levels in the city. Earlier, the permission had been granted for three hours.
In an earlier order, it had granted permission from 7 pm to 10 pm to burst firecrackers on Diwali in order to curb pollution.
HC forms committee amid rising air pollution
The Bombay HC also passed an order to form a committee of three members to observe the rising pollution levels in the city. The HC said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should provide assistance to the committee to its full extent.
It further said that all municipal corporations in the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) area will have to submit a daily report on pollution in their area and steps taken to curb it. The committee can also give suggestions to the concerned municipal corporations.
The committee should prepare a weekly report with its comments based on the daily reports of the municipal corporations and submit report. The order will be applicable to all Municipal Corporations and Nagar panchayats of MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region), the High Court stated.
Just a day earlier, the overall Mumbai Air Quality Index (AQI) of India's business capital was recorded in the moderate category at 150. However, in some areas, the AQI continued to be in the 'very bad' category.
In a bid to ease air pollution woes, the Bombay High Court has put a temporary ban on construction work and ordered the bursting of firecrackers from 7 pm to 10 pm only. The Mumbai civic body has started washing the roads in the city as part of the measures to reduce air pollution which has become a matter of concern over the last few weeks.
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