November 28, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued stop-work notices to 53 construction sites found contributing to Mumbai’s deteriorating air quality, amid rising public concern over the city’s increasingly poor Air Quality Index (AQI). On Thursday, the civic body reiterated that all pollution-control guidelines must be “strictly followed,” including the mandatory installation of AQI monitoring sensors that remain functional at all times. Additional Municipal Commissioner (city) Ashwini Joshi warned contractors that strict action would follow if any sensor was found non-operational.
Earlier the same day, the Bombay High Court rejected the argument that ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia were responsible for the decline in air quality, noting that pollution levels had been consistently poor. The bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed, “Even before this eruption, if one stepped out, visibility was poor beyond 500 metres.” The court also drew parallels to Delhi’s severe pollution levels and asked what effective measures Mumbai could adopt.
The eruption of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano produced an ash plume that travelled across the Red Sea and toward the Indian subcontinent. However, senior counsels Darius Khambata and Janak Dwarkadas argued that Mumbai’s AQI has remained above 300 this month, indicating long-standing concerns.
Political leaders, too, have urged urgent intervention. Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora wrote to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, calling the situation a “public health emergency” and seeking a temporary halt to all digging and construction work. Aaditya Thackeray criticised the government, alleging that “builders and contractors are a priority for the BJP government.”
The BMC highlighted ongoing efforts such as enforcing cleaner fuels at bakeries and crematoriums, deploying water-sprinkling machines, improving debris management, and expanding the electric bus fleet. Of the 662 AQI sensors installed across Mumbai, 117 were found inactive, prompting warnings of strict action through 95 ward-level flying squads. The civic body also noted progress in transitioning bakeries to cleaner fuels, with more applications underway.
