The situation in Mumbai is equally bad, observed the Bombay High Court Thursday while deciding to examine if Delhi’s odd-even driving policy could be implemented in the city. The HC said it wants to assess the impact the policy had on the national capital’s traffic congestion and pollution levels.
“We would like to know what happened in Delhi and examine if it should be done here or not. The situation in Mumbai is equally bad and we propose to hear the issue,” said Justice V M Kanade and Justice RevatiMohiteDere.
When the judges inquired about the traffic situation in the city, the government informed that it improved to a “great extent”. “The traffic is under control,” said the lawyer who represented the traffic department. However, there were voices who vehemently opposed the statement.
The deliberations came about during the hearing of a PIL seeking the introduction of the odd-even rule for private cars in Mumbai. The PIL, filed by Shadaab Patel, says increasing vehicular traffic has resulted in several health issues. “Though Mumbai has lesser number of vehicles than Delhi, it tops in vehicular emission due to congested roads, lack of space due to its coastal nature and rising number of diesel vehicles,” the PIL says.
The court, during the last hearing, raised concerns over the increasing air pollution in the city owing to the indiscriminate construction along Mumbai’s coastline that has damaged natural guards against pollutants.
The nexus between developers, politicians and the slum mafia, claimed the petitioner, must be broken to protect the city’s coastline.
