Mumbai's Air Quality Crisis: A Public Health Emergency

Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad criticized the Maharashtra government for failing to tackle Mumbai's escalating air pollution. She highlighted alarming PM2.5 levels turning the city into a 'gas chamber' and stressed the need for stringent pollution control and environmental norms to protect public health.

Former Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad has voiced strong criticism against the state government, accusing it of neglecting Mumbai's rising air pollution crisis. Gaikwad highlighted the hazardous PM2.5 levels, comparing the city to a 'gas chamber,' at a Mumbai Congress meeting focused on air quality issues.

Referencing a Harvard University study, Gaikwad emphasized that pollution claims nearly 5,100 lives annually in Mumbai. She lambasted the 'corrupt Mahayuti government' for prioritizing contractors over citizens, citing disregard for environmental norms, unchecked construction, and deforestation as major contributors to the decline in air quality.

Gaikwad condemned the city's development model that threatens public health, affecting children and the elderly. She demanded comprehensive pollution-control measures and accountability, asserting the Mumbai Congress's commitment to safeguarding residents' rights to clean air and a healthy life.

(With inputs from agencies.)