Varsha Gaikwad hits out at Maha govt, says Mumbai becoming a 'gas chamber'

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Former Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday accused the state government of failing to address worsening air pollution in Mumbai, claiming that PM2.5 levels had reached the "hazardous" range, and the city was being turned into a "gas chamber".

 

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Mumbai Congress on the issue of air quality, Gaikwad referred to a study by Harvard University, estimating that nearly 5,100 people in Mumbai die annually due to pollution.

 

"These are not just numbers. These are families losing their loved ones," she said.

 

She alleged that the "corrupt Mahayuti government" was following a "contractor-first, people-last model," and cited rampant construction without safeguards, violations of environmental norms, allocation of open spaces and eco-sensitive zones to favoured builders, and felling of trees as key factors contributing to rising pollution levels.

 

The Congress leader said that the city is being "turned into a gas chamber in the name of development," adding that children were falling sick and senior citizens were struggling to breathe.

 

"If this is not a public health emergency, then what is?" Gaikwad questioned, demanding a strong pollution-control plan, strict enforcement of environmental norms, protection of green cover, and accountability for violators.

 

She said that the Mumbai Congress "will not allow contractors and cronies to decide the fate of the city" and will continue to fight for residents' "right to clean air and right to live".