SHILLONG, March 21: In response to growing environmental concerns, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has called for the formation of a joint action committee with Assam to address the severe pollution in Byrnihat. This initiative follows alarming air quality reports and aims to coordinate efforts between the two states to ensure sustainable development and ecological balance in the region.

Sangma announced the initiative on Friday, stating that he had both written to and spoken with CM Sarma about the need for collaboration. He also outlined steps to address the pollution, including an environmental audit of all industrial units in Meghalaya. “This will be done in a time-bound manner and on a regular basis,” Sangma tweeted.

This move follows Sangma’s remarks in his March 13 assembly address, where he called for collaborative action after Byrnihat was named the world’s most polluted city by IQAir’s World Air Quality Report 2024. The report recorded a dangerous PM 2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter in Byrnihat. However, Sangma disputed these figures, citing data from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board that showed a lower average of 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter for 2024.

Despite the discrepancy, Sangma’s government has taken steps to address the situation, including issuing closure notices to seven industrial units and imposing environmental compensation on two others after surprise inspections in January and February 2025. The Chief Minister also pointed to poor air quality readings in nearby Balipathar, Assam, suggesting that industries and other activities on the Assam side may be contributing significantly to the pollution.

Sangma highlighted the industrial disparity between the two states, with Assam’s portion of Byrnihat hosting 20 red-category industries compared to just five in Meghalaya’s portion. The Central Pollution Control Board has already designated the Assam section as a “critically polluted area.”

In a bid to address the crisis, Meghalaya has engaged the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct an emission inventory and source apportionment study. Sangma has also called for a joint action plan involving experts from both states to tackle the pollution issue comprehensively.

During his assembly address, Sangma reassured the citizens of Byrnihat, both in Assam and Meghalaya, saying, “We are concerned about this particular issue, and we will leave no stone unturned.”