Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to a cool and refreshing Friday morning, with clear skies, mild winter winds and relatively low humidity offering a brief respite from the city’s usual heat. However, the pleasant start was short-lived as a visible layer of smog gradually enveloped the skyline, reducing visibility and once again highlighting the city’s deepening air pollution crisis.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a largely comfortable day for the financial capital, predicting bright conditions with temperatures ranging between 18°C and 33°C. While weather conditions remained favourable, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s primary concern.

Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 182 during the early hours of the day, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category. Although this marked a slight improvement from the hazardous levels recorded in late November and early December, the air remained unhealthy, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and individuals suffering from respiratory or cardiac ailments.

Several large-scale infrastructure projects are currently underway across Mumbai, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works. In addition, aggressive private real estate development has added to dust emissions. Vehicular pollution during peak traffic hours has further aggravated air quality, particularly at busy intersections and arterial roads.

Several locations across the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal reported a severe AQI of 362, indicating conditions that can seriously affect even healthy individuals. Charkop recorded an AQI of 260, while Colaba stood at 240, both falling in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Deonar registered an AQI of 217 and Chembur, a key commercial and residential area, recorded 213.

Suburban areas especially showed relatively better readings but remained far from safe. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of 75, while Parel-Bhoiwada and Andheri West logged 95 and 97 respectively, all within the ‘moderate’ range. However, areas such as Jogeshwari and Goregaon slipped into the ‘poor’ category with AQI readings of 113 each.

For perspective, AQI values between 0 and 50 are considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy and levels above 200 hazardous.

Mumbai, Dec 18: Amid a chorus from the opposition, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Thursday accepted the resignation of party minister Manikrao Kokate, against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in a housing fraud case.

Kokate had submitted his resignation to DCM Pawar on Wednesday after a sessions court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment in the Nashik housing fraud case.

On Wednesday night, Kokate was stripped of his Sports and Minority Affairs portfolios and was retained as a minister without any portfolio.

Kokate is currently undergoing medical examination at Lilavati Hospital after he complained of uneasiness. He has already approached the Bombay High Court seeking relief from the sessions court ruling.

In a post on X, Ajit Pawar said: “Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and my party colleague Shri Manikrao Kokate has submitted his resignation to me following the outcome of the Hon’ble Court’s verdict. In keeping with our party’s long-standing philosophy that the rule of law is supreme and above all individuals, the resignation has been accepted in principle. I have forwarded Shri Kokate’s resignation to the Hon’ble Chief Minister for due consideration and acceptance, in accordance with constitutional procedure.”

He further stated: “Our party has always believed that public life must be guided by constitutional morality, institutional integrity and respect for the judiciary. We stand firmly by the rule of law and will continue to act in a manner that upholds democratic values and public trust.”

Pawar took the decision after holding a meeting lasting over two-and-a-half hours early Thursday morning with party working president Praful Patel and state chief Sunil Tatkare.

Manikrao Kokate is a five-time MLA from the Sinnar constituency in Nashik district and has a history of shifting political loyalties. His membership of the legislature could also be at risk if the High Court upholds the sessions court ruling.

The sessions court upheld his conviction in a case involving the illegal acquisition of government flats through forged documents and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. Following the verdict, an arrest warrant was issued against Kokate.

He faces imminent arrest unless the High Court grants a stay on the conviction.

Amid these legal developments, Kokate’s health condition deteriorated and he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. He skipped the weekly cabinet meeting held on Wednesday at Mantralaya.

Kokate’s legal team informed the court that he was admitted to a hospital and sought a four-day stay on the arrest. However, the court rejected the plea, noting that no medical certificate was presented and that Kokate should have been present when the verdict was delivered.

Kokate has moved the Mumbai High Court challenging the sessions court ruling and has sought an urgent hearing and a stay on the sentence.

The High Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday.

The case dates back to 1995 and involves the alleged misappropriation of flats reserved under the Chief Minister’s quota. These flats are meant for low-income individuals who do not own property elsewhere.

Manikrao Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate were accused of submitting fraudulent affidavits and documents to acquire two flats in the Nirman View Apartment in Nashik.

Investigations later revealed that the brothers were also using two additional flats in the same building that had been allotted to other beneficiaries.

Based on an inquiry conducted by the district administration, Vishwanath Patil, then an official of the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) department, filed a complaint. Subsequently, a fraud case was registered at Sarkarwada Police Station against four individuals, including the Kokate brothers.

The court sentenced them to two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

Since his induction into the cabinet, Kokate has been embroiled in several controversies.

He was stripped of the Agriculture portfolio after the monsoon session of the state legislature in July, following allegations by NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar that Kokate was playing games on his mobile phone during a Legislative Council session. While Kokate denied the allegation, it drew widespread criticism.

He also triggered outrage with controversial remarks on farmers, stating: “Even a beggar does not accept one rupee, but here we provide crop insurance for just one rupee, yet some people try to take undue advantage of it.”

During a municipal election campaign, Kokate had also taken a swipe at coalition partner BJP, calling it a “corrupt party” (batlela paksha) that survives by breaking other parties while sidelining its own workers.

Earlier this year, another NCP minister, Dhananjay Munde, had resigned after his aide Walmik Karad was linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district.

The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell had arrested two drug peddlers in 2017 and recovered drugs from their possession and now the court has sentenced these drug peddlers to 20 years in prison and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Drug peddlers Praveen Dilip Vaghela and Ramdas Pandurang were arrested by ANC’s Ghatkopar and the MD’s car was also seized during the search of the accused.