The Bombay High Court has urged the Maharashtra Advocate General to give urgent attention to the problem of worsening Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai.

The panel, comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Arif Doctor, instructed the High Court Registry to begin the process of registering a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL). The court has scheduled the representation of the state government by the Advocate General for November 6.

The panel has conveyed its intent to independently acknowledge the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and its vicinity, based on information from various newspaper reports. Furthermore, they have designated advocate Darius Khambata as amicus curiae to provide assistance to the court.

The court recognized that it had been examining multiple media reports in recent weeks, which have been bringing attention to the declining Air Quality Index (AQI) and its adverse effects on the health of people, including both the young and the elderly. These reports indicated that the AQI in Mumbai had fluctuated between moderate and severe levels for the past 15 to 20 days.

The bench acknowledged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had implemented specific measures to address air pollution in the city. However, they observed that these actions had not resulted in substantial improvements in the Air Quality Index (AQI) that would bring it within healthy limits.

The panel stressed that there had been a lack of efforts to issue essential health advisories or educate the public on safeguarding themselves from the current harmful Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in Mumbai. This underscores the immediate need for action. Media reports also highlighted that the air quality in Mumbai had been "unhealthy" for several days, with the city ranking as the 7th most polluted city globally.