Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has launched a scathing attack on the state government, claiming that air pollution in Mumbai has reached dangerous and unbearable levels over the past two years. The Shiv Sena (UBT) president directly blamed administrative corruption for the deteriorating air quality in India's financial capital.
Political Clash Over Mumbai's Air Quality
In a sharp editorial published in his party's mouthpiece Saamna on Friday, Thackeray described the pollution crisis as more than just environmental concern. "This pollution is not just dust and smoke, but this is the eruption of a volcano of corruption," he wrote. The political leader asserted that "the clouds of corruption that have risen from it are covering all of Maharashtra."
Thackeray specifically pointed to unplanned development projects across the city as the primary cause of the pollution problem. He recalled his decision to immediately stop the Aarey Metro car shed during his tenure as Chief Minister, contrasting it with current practices where contractors are cutting down trees again "in the name of development."
BJP's Counterattack and Historical Accountability
The Bharatiya Janata Party swiftly responded to Thackeray's allegations through chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye. The BJP representative questioned Thackeray's sudden environmental concern, asking "why wasn't this concern shown when they had power in the municipal corporation?"
Upadhye highlighted that the undivided Shiv Sena governed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from 1997 to 2022, giving them ample opportunity to address pollution issues. He accused Thackeray's administration of failing to implement crucial sewage treatment plant projects, noting that "till then, dirty water was being released directly into the sea."
Specific Environmental Controversies
Thackeray also expressed strong opposition to the proposed cutting of over 1,670 trees for Kumbh Mela preparations in Nashik. He criticized what he described as corruption being practiced "in the name of Hindutva."
The BJP spokesperson countered by accusing Thackeray of creating unnecessary controversies around the Metro Aarey-Kanjurmarg route. "You opposed Metro, gave a stay to Aarey carshed, and blocked the way to control pollution," alleged Upadhye.
Upadhye acknowledged that Mumbai's pollution spikes for three months beginning every November, but assured that effective measures would be taken against air pollution under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's leadership.
The political exchange highlights the growing concern about Mumbai's air quality while exposing deep political divisions over environmental governance and development priorities in Maharashtra's largest city.
