Mumbai has the sea, and for decades the sea breeze cleaned our air. This year it isn’t enough, and for the second time in 2026 our air has been worse than Delhi’s. The winds have slowed, so the smoke stays with us. Just south of the city, in Alibaug and in the rural belts around Mumbai, garbage is burnt in the open because villages have no system to collect or dispose of it. My sensors recorded PM2.5 above 1,000 next to roadside garbage fires and 300–400 in parts of Alibaug. No official monitor is there to record it. Add crop burning inland, and depending on the winds, the combined impact on Mumbai could be significant. Then come the firecrackers. Our tests found toxic heavy metals in them, including crackers sold as “green”, and that label means nothing when the rules aren’t enforced. The city gets no time to recover, with Christmas and New Year still ahead. I have written to the Chief Minister documenting firecrackers being burst on roads and footpaths despite the High Court’s ban. All firecrackers should be banned. Children, the elderly and anyone with breathing problems will suffer first. The Bombay High Court has called this an emergency, and BMC, MPCB and the police must report on October 26.@CMOMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis @mybmc @mpcb_official @InkSleuth @MumbaiPolice @IndiaToday indiatoday.in/india/story/mu…