The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the civic authorities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, along with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), to consider the economic impact of air pollution for taking effective measures. The court said that if pollution affects the nation’s economy, it becomes a matter of public interest.
This came after lead amicus curiae advocate Darius Khambata referred to a statement by Harvard University professor and former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Gopinath had highlighted that pollution poses a greater economic risk to India than trade tariffs.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad was hearing a suo motu PIL and other petitions raising concerns over poor air quality in Bombay and surrounding areas.
Khambata stated that “pollution is a more serious and impactful source of depression for our economy as we discuss tariffs and trade deals.”
He added: “People are becoming disabled and their efficiency levels are plummeting. The authorities should treat this as a crisis. The time has come to shock the authorities (through drastic orders).”
He further said: “There has to be political will as we and our children breathe in mini Bhopals” (referring to the Bhopal gas tragedy). “The time has come for star action.”
To back up his claims, Khambata cited news reports, including that of The indian express on Mumbai recording the maximum number of unhealthy AQI days in January 2026, and The Lancet report titled “Health and Economic Impact of Air Pollution in Indian States: Global Burden of Disease Study 2019”.
Story continues below this ad.
He argued that air pollution has serious ramifications for the country’s economy, and this aspect must be considered when making decisions on the matter.
When the Navi Mumbai civic body’s lawyer said that reliance on newspaper reports “may not be correct”, Chief Justice Chandrashekhar orally commented: “The credibility of these reports cannot be set aside in this manner. They come from responsible journalists and newspapers serving the nation.”
“(The economic impact report) has given a different dimension to the issue of air pollution. Therefore, this is also very important. You (the authorities) take note of this. We do not believe that this aspect is examined in any of the judgments. If it is affecting the economy of the nation, then it is in public interest. Health is of course a fundamental right that concerns citizens. But the economy is also a concern of governments. So please look at this,” CJ Chandrashekhar orally commented.
The court also asked civic authorities to create websites that would provide data from air quality monitoring stations and make it accessible to citizens. “People have a right to know and should know,” the court said.
Story continues below this ad.
Senior lawyer Janak Dwarkadas, representing NGO Vanashakti, said the court should issue an order directing authorities to pay compensation to those who die, are hospitalized or suffer health problems due to pollution. “Life cannot be so cheap for the authorities to continue acting as usual,” he said.
“In the last three years (since the suo motu PIL was initiated), we do not believe that the authorities have made any progress. Measures have been taken, but they are not enough. There could be an increase in the number of motor vehicles on the roads and constructions must have multiplied. Perhaps that is why their efforts are not showing much positive impact,” the court observed.
The court also asked the MPCB to conduct annual audits of industries, including those in the red (highly polluting) category and fixed the next hearing on January 29, when it will pass new orders.
