Byrnihat in Meghalaya has emerged as the most polluted city globally, according to the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
As per the report, 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India.
Air Quality Report 2024 reported Byrnihat as having an average PM 2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, reacting to the report said “we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this issue is resolved or minimised to the maximum level”.
Meghalaya Govt takes action
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) had flagged violations by several industries multiple times. But due to political and industrial lobbying, enforcement remained weak. It is only now, after the city has gained global notoriety as the most polluted, that authorities have moved to act. In response to the worsening crisis, the Meghalaya government has ordered the closure of six ferro-alloy factories in Byrnihat for violating environmental norms.
“Assam also to blame”
Chief Minister Sangma added that the Byrnihat Industrial Area in Assam, that runs along Byrnihat town of Meghalaya, has been designated as a Critically Polluted Area (CPA) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi. In fact, it is to be pointed out that there are 20 Red Category industries in Byrnihat, Assam, as compared to five in the Meghalaya side.
“There are concerns on both sides of the border, and hence it is an issue that must be addressed by both states together,” Sangma said during a session of the state assembly.