A day after the Bombay High Court expressed concern over Mumbai’s worsening air quality and directed the formation of a five-member committee to monitor construction-related pollution, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Minister Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday accused the Mahayuti government of turning Mumbai into a “gas chamber” under the guise of development, as the city grapples with hazardous air quality. Ms. Gaikwad demanded urgent intervention to tackle rising pollution levels, citing a Harvard University study that estimates nearly 5,100 deaths annually in Mumbai due to pollution-related illnesses. The Bombay High Court on Friday formed a five-member panel to audit construction-site pollution.
Speaking at a press conference organised by Mumbai Congress, Ms. Gaikwad and party workers wore oxygen masks to underline the severity of the crisis. She called for a comprehensive pollution control plan, strict enforcement of environmental norms and protection of green spaces, warning that unchecked development and violations of environmental safeguards were pushing the city into a public health emergency.
“These are not just numbers. These are families losing their loved ones,” Ms. Gaikwad said, referring to the Harvard study. “Children are falling sick, senior citizens are struggling to breathe. If this is not a public health emergency, then what is?”
