Overview

• Justices Shree Chandrashekhar and Aarti Sathe dismissed an application by 12 bakery owners seeking a one-year reprieve and a halt on enforcement by the civic body.
• The court enforced a July 8 deadline set after a January 9 order and BMC notices, with civic data showing around 311 bakeries still using coal or wood.
• The judges noted the applicants approached the court late despite January notices and held that health risks from pollution override business difficulties.
• Bakery owners argued they are waiting on PNG connections, BMC permissions to dig recently relaid roads, and relief from monsoon constraints, warning of job losses and supply disruptions.
• BMC pegged conversion costs at ₹10–20 lakh and pointed to a central loan-and-subsidy scheme, while MGL reported more PNG hookups are feasible and offered to extend lines at its cost subject to a security deposit.