Mumbai: woke up to a brief spell of winter charm on Friday, with cool breezes, clear blue skies and a noticeable dip in temperatures bringing momentary relief to residents. The early morning hours felt crisp and pleasant, raising hopes of a comfortable day ahead in the otherwise humid metropolis. However, the sense of respite proved short-lived as a thick layer of smog gradually settled over the city, reducing visibility and showing Mumbai’s worsening air pollution problem.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a bright and pleasant day, with temperatures expected to range between 20 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius. While weather conditions remained favourable, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s most pressing concern. By morning, haze was visible across several parts of Mumbai, dampening the initial optimism sparked by the cool start.

Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed that Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 204 in the early hours, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Health experts cautioned that prolonged exposure to such pollution levels can have serious health consequences, particularly for children, senior citizens and individuals with respiratory or cardiac conditions. Residents were advised to minimise outdoor activities and avoid prolonged exposure to polluted air.

The deteriorating air quality has largely been attributed to dust and fine particulate matter released by widespread construction activity across the city. Mumbai is currently witnessing multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works.

Alongside these public projects, rapid private real estate development continues to add to the pollution load. Vehicular emissions, especially during peak traffic hours, further exacerbate the situation, posing a major challenge for civic authorities tasked with managing air quality.

Several areas in the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. Chembur recorded a dangerously high AQI of 342, placing it in the ‘severe’ category where health risks extend even to otherwise healthy individuals. Wadala East followed closely with an AQI of 327, while Wadala West reported 320. Sewri and Kurla also registered alarming AQI levels of 308 and 306 respectively, firmly within the severe pollution bracket.

Suburban areas fared relatively better but were far from pollution-free. Andheri East reported ‘good’ air quality with an AQI of 48, while Bandra West and Kandivali East recorded AQI readings of 83 each, categorised as ‘moderate’. Santacruz East registered 87 and Jogeshwari touched 100, indicating that moderate air pollution remains widespread rather than restricted to specific pockets of the city.

As per standard classifications, AQI levels between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘moderate’, 101 to 200 ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘unhealthy’, and readings above 300 fall under the ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’ category, levels Mumbai continues to breach with worrying regularity.

Preparations for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are in the final stages. On the instructions of the Election Commission, Mumbai Police has banned mobile phones at polling stations and the use of mobile phones is prohibited within a radius of 100 meters. The code of conduct will be applied at polling stations. There will be a complete ban on the use of mobile phones and wireless within 100 meters. In addition, advertising campaigns and advertising of election symbols are also prohibited. Candidates cannot attract voters at polling stations. If anyone is found involved in this process, action will be taken against them. This order has been issued by Mumbai DCP Operation Akbar Pathan on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti.

New Delhi, Jan 8: The Delhi High Court on Thursday stayed a single-judge direction that required the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to institute a second level of human review for consumer complaints dismissed by its banking ombudsman.

A division bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the interim order on an appeal filed by the RBI against a ruling delivered by Justice Prathiba M. Singh, which required such reviews to be conducted by legally trained professionals, including retired judicial officers or lawyers with a minimum of ten years’ experience.

While staying the impugned directions, the CJ Upadhyaya-led Bench observed that, prima facie, it found force in the submissions advanced on behalf of the RBI.

“Accordingly, we provide that the directions contained in paragraph 47(5) and 48 of the impugned judgment by the learned single judge dated November 27, 2025, shall remain stayed,” it ordered.

The bench also stayed the single-judge’s direction requiring the RBI Deputy Governor to submit a compliance affidavit by January 15, 2026. The matter has now been scheduled for further hearing on March 17.

Appearing for the RBI, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta submitted that the single judge had travelled beyond the permissible scope of judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution.

The Centre’s second-highest law officer submitted that the Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021, is a statutory scheme framed under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act and Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, and can be altered or modified only by authorities empowered under those enactments.

In her November 27, 2025, ruling, Justice Prathiba M. Singh had expressed concern over complaints being rejected through “system-generated responses” and held that the Ombudsman Scheme must be “an effective Scheme and not a mere toothless division of the RBI”.

The judgment was delivered in a writ petition filed by advocate Sarwar Raza, who had approached the Delhi High Court alleging harassment and wrongful rejection of his complaints by the RBI Ombudsman following a disputed credit card transaction of Rs 76,777.

The single-judge Bench had directed the RBI to ensure that customer complaints are not rejected merely through a mechanised process and that complainants should be given an opportunity to correct minor errors.

It had further ordered that whenever complaints are finally rejected, they must undergo a second level of human supervision by legally trained personnel, observing: “If the complaint redressal mechanism adopted by the Ombudsman is made more effective and efficient, litigation in courts and consumer forum/s can be reduced considerably.”