Shillong: Reports ranking Byrnihat as the world’s most polluted city have prompted Meghalaya Chief Minister to urge a collaborative effort with Assam to tackle the worsening environmental crisis in the border region.
Addressing the assembly, the Chief Minister stressed the need for both states to work together, acknowledging pollution concerns on both sides of the border.
The call for action follows the IQAir World Air Quality Report 2024, which reported an alarming PM 2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter in Byrnihat. However, the Chief Minister disputed these figures, citing data from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) that recorded a significantly lower annual average of 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter for 2024. He further highlighted ongoing efforts to curb industrial pollution, including surprise inspections that led to the closure of seven industrial units and environmental penalties for two others due to non-compliance with pollution control norms.
Despite these measures, air quality monitoring stations in Assam’s Balipathar continued to record “poor” or “very poor” levels, indicating that pollution sources extend beyond Meghalaya’s jurisdiction. The Chief Minister pointed to the industrial disparity between the two states, noting that while Meghalaya’s Byrnihat has only five high-pollution “red-category” industries, the Assam side houses 20, with the Central Pollution Control Board designating the area as a “critically polluted zone.”
Assuring residents of both states, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the crisis. He revealed that Meghalaya had engaged the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct an emission inventory and source apportionment study in the area. Additionally, he disclosed having written to Assam’s Chief Minister to propose a joint action plan involving scientific experts and government officials from both states.
Emphasizing the importance of public health and environmental safety, the Chief Minister assured that all legal provisions would be implemented to mitigate the pollution crisis and restore air quality in the region.
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