Mumbai, Feb 3 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has constituted a high-powered committee (HPC) under a former HC Chief Justice to suggest measures to combat and prevent air pollution in Mumbai and wider the metropolitan region.
The committee will be headed by Amjad Sayed, former Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice, and will have Anuja Prabhudessai, former Bombay HC judge, as a member.
As per an order passed by the HC on January 29, the HPC will monitor compliance with all court orders and review weekly reports from ward-level assistant municipal commissioners.
A bench led by Bombay HC Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar has said the HPC shall make recommendations to civic bodies and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for immediate, medium and long-term measures to combat and prevent air pollution in Mumbai and the MMR region, which includes districts located adjoining the financial capital.
The panel is empowered to seek input from technical and medical experts, including specialists in paediatric pulmonology to address the impact on vulnerable groups like infants and children.
The HPC will advise on the formulation of a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) specifically for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the order said.
The court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay each member of the HPC an honorarium of Rs 1,00,000 per sitting.
Any refusal by officials to assist the HPC will be treated as a breach of court orders and may trigger contempt proceedings, it warned.
The BMC has been directed to provide the HPC with full logistical support, including office space and a nodal officer.
The committee is expected to meet weekly and submit its preliminary report to the court by March 5.
On January 29, the court had said it will constitute a high-powered committee to oversee the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in the Mumbai region, noting efforts taken by authorities concerned are “not sufficient and satisfactory”.
The HC had in October 2023 taken suo motu (on its own) cognizance of the rising pollution in the metropolis and its adjoining areas. PTI AVI RSY
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