Mumbai Air Pollution Court Ruling

The India — Bombay High Court, led by Chief Justice Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Justice Gautam Ankhad, stated that authorities cannot solely attribute India — Mumbai's severe air pollution to the recent volcanic eruption of Ethiopia — Hayli Gubbi in Ethiopia. The court noted that India — Mumbai's Air Quality Index has been consistently poor, often above 300, long before the eruption. Senior counsels Darius Khambata and Janak Dwarkadas, representing petitioners, highlighted the persistent poor air quality. Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan's argument linking the pollution to the Ethiopian volcano was rejected by the court. The court emphasized the need for effective measures to address the issue, drawing parallels to the alarming pollution levels in India — Delhi. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on Friday. The ash plume from Ethiopia — Hayli Gubbi spread across the Red Sea towards the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, causing flight disruptions but having minimal impact on ground-level air quality in India — Mumbai, according to experts and the Malaysia — Malaysian Meteorological Department.