Don't blame volcanic ash for Mumbai's poor AQI: HC

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said authorities cannot blame ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia for air pollution in the metropolis and said the air quality index here has been poor much before that.

Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan said air pollution has worsened due to the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia two days back. The court, however, discarded this and said air pollution has been bad much before the eruption of the volcano.

"Even before this eruption, if one stepped out visibility was poor beyond 500 metres," the court said.