Court Dismisses Volcanic Excuse for Mumbai's Pollution Crisis
The Bombay High Court firmly rejected the Maharashtra government's astonishing claim that a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia was responsible for Mumbai's deteriorating air quality. During a hearing on Thursday, the court exposed the flawed reasoning behind this distant blame game.
Additional Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan had suggested that the ash plume from Mount Hayli Gubbi's eruption in east Africa had caused Mumbai's poor air quality "for the last two days." However, the bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad immediately saw through this explanation.
Judicial Skepticism and Scientific Facts
"But before that?" questioned Chief Justice Chandrashekhar, highlighting the logical flaw. "Even before the volcano erupted, if one stepped out, visibility was poor beyond 500m." This sharp observation underscored that Mumbai's air quality issues predated the volcanic activity.
The volcanic eruption in question occurred on Sunday, marking its first recorded eruption in history. Hayli Gubbi sent an ash plume reaching an impressive 14 kilometers high, with the cloud eventually traveling as far as the Indian subcontinent.
While the ash did disrupt flight operations in India beginning Monday, the India Meteorological Department clarified that it likely posed no risk to air quality as it remained far above the earth's surface. The ash cloud had already exited Indian airspace by late Tuesday, drifting toward China.
Legal Proceedings and Environmental Concerns
The hearing was part of a suo motu Public Interest Litigation on pollution that the High Court initiated in October 2023. Several prominent legal experts participated in the proceedings, including senior counsel Darius Khambata, who was appointed amicus curiae to assist the court.
Other participants included senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas representing NGO Vanshakti, and advocate Pooja Thorat for an intervener. They collectively mentioned the pending PIL and sought an urgent hearing to ensure compliance with earlier court orders addressing pollution concerns.
The court expressed serious concern about Mumbai's air quality situation, drawing parallels with Delhi's alarming Air Quality Index levels. The bench specifically asked what effective measures could be implemented to address the worsening situation in India's financial capital.
The matter has been scheduled for priority hearing on Friday, where the court expects concrete suggestions and action plans rather than far-fetched explanations for the city's persistent pollution problems.
