SHILLONG, March 13: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, in a suo motu statement in the Assembly on Thursday, addressed the issue of air pollution in Byrnihat, acknowledging that poor air quality in the area could largely be attributed to industrial and other activities on the Assam side. He was responding to concerns raised by the recent World Air Quality Report 2024, which named Byrnihat as the world’s most polluted town.
Despite these claims, Sangma assured the House that Byrnihat’s air quality had been deemed “satisfactory” by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB). However, he pointed out that the air quality in Byrnihat, Assam, remained “poor to very poor,” as reported by the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station in the Central Academy for State Forest Service.
Sangma explained that the major sources of pollution could be traced to industrial operations along the Assam side, particularly the Byrnihat Industrial Area in Assam, which borders Meghalaya. This area has been designated as a Critically Polluted Area (CPA) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). There are 20 Red Category industries in Byrnihat, Assam, compared to just five on the Meghalaya side.
To address the pollution issues, the Assam Pollution Control Board has prepared an action plan in line with directions from the National Green Tribunal and CPCB. Sangma assured that efforts were underway to restore and improve the environmental quality of the Byrnihat area of Assam.
Contrary to the World Air Quality Report, Sangma also presented data showing a much lower average PM2.5 concentration in Byrnihat, Meghalaya. According to the MSPCB’s data, Byrnihat recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) in 2024, significantly lower than the 128.2 µg/m3 recorded in the report.
Sangma further highlighted MSPCB’s efforts to monitor pollution in the area, noting surprise inspections conducted at industrial units in Byrnihat on January 24, 27, 31, and February 5, 2025. The inspections revealed violations of pollution norms, including heavy emissions from chimneys due to non-operation of pollution control devices. In response, MSPCB issued closure notices to seven industrial units and imposed environmental compensation on two.
Additionally, MSPCB has partnered with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) to conduct an emission inventory and source apportionment study of Byrnihat. The study has been completed, and the final report is expected to be ready soon.
