Deepika Padukone Urges Mumbai Authorities to Address Rising Air Pollution
MUMBAI — Actress Deepika Padukone has called on Mumbai authorities to take urgent action to address worsening air pollution in the city, saying the deteriorating air quality is affecting residents and children.
The Bollywood star raised the issue Thursday on Instagram, where she shared a screenshot showing Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at around 150.
“This city & its children are choking! How is this okay!? @my_bmc @mybmchealth help,” Padukone wrote in the post.
Her comments come as the city has seen a significant decline in air quality over the past year, with several areas recording pollution levels in the “poor” to “very poor” categories.
Padukone, who was last seen in the film Singham Again, is also a mother to her daughter Dua, whom she shares with actor Ranveer Singh. Dua was born on September 8, 2024.
Recent air-quality readings have highlighted the growing problem. In February 2026, citywide AQI levels were reported between 230 and 250, while some neighborhoods — including Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Ghatkopar and Mulund — recorded readings close to 290, approaching the “severe” category.
Officials say construction activity across Mumbai has been a major contributor to rising pollution levels. Dust from excavation, demolition, debris transport and uncovered building materials has increased concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter, the pollutants most closely linked to declining air quality.
Authorities have acknowledged that violations of construction dust-control regulations are a key driver of pollution.
In response, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued hundreds of show-cause notices and stop-work orders to construction sites that failed to follow dust-control rules. More than 1,000 projects have reportedly received stop-work notices as part of the city’s enforcement effort.
Courts have also weighed in on the issue. The Bombay High Court has criticized civic authorities for what it described as inadequate enforcement of pollution-control measures and warned officials over failures to comply with air-quality directives. (Source: IANS)
