Byrnihat’s worsening air pollution is primarily caused by industries located across the border in Assam, not Meghalaya, according to Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) Chairman R. Nainamalai, IFS. While Byrnihat in Meghalaya has only two factories under the Red category, Assam has 20 such industries operating near the area, significantly impacting air quality.
Responding to public outcry over rising pollution levels, the MSPCB has ordered the closure of six factories in Byrnihat, all classified under the Orange category. Additionally, show cause notices with a 15-day compliance deadline have been issued to two factories. “Once they submit the report, if they don’t comply with pollution norms, we will have to issue closure notices and take further action,” said Nainamalai.
The six shuttered factories include Shyam Century Ferro Alloy Pvt. Ltd., Khasi Alloy Ltd., Nalari Ferro Alloys Pvt. Ltd., Pawan Casting Meghalaya Pvt. Ltd., FW Ferro Tech Pvt. Ltd., and SR (India) Bio-Product Pvt. Ltd. These units were found in violation of environmental regulations.
In a surprise night inspection at 13 Mile, Tamulkuchi, MSPCB identified industries flouting air pollution norms both during the day and at night. “Such pollution poses serious health risks to the local population,” Nainamalai emphasized.
The board has also imposed fines: Rs 4 lakh on Shyam Century Ferro Alloy Pvt. Ltd. and Rs 2 lakh on Khasi Alloy Ltd. for contributing to hazardous emissions.
“MSPCB’s recent inspection found that many industries are not meeting pollution norms or complying with board-imposed conditions. Based on these findings, we have closed six industries in Byrnihat and imposed penalties on two,” Nainamalai stated. He cited key violations, including non-operational Pollution Control Devices, failure to transmit data via the Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System, exceeding prescribed pollution limits, and inefficiencies in installed control devices.
Byrnihat has 41 industries, categorized as follows: 5 in the Red category (three non-operational), 22 in the Orange category, and 14 in the Green category. “Among the two operational Red-category factories, our inspections found non-compliance with pollution norms, so we issued show cause notices with a 15-day deadline,” Nainamalai said.
The board has intensified its crackdown after finding that many industries deliberately do not activate their Pollution Control Devices, significantly contributing to environmental degradation.
Air Quality Monitoring and Findings
MSPCB monitors Byrnihat’s ambient air quality through four manual stations at EPIP, 15th Mile, 17th Mile, and Khasi Killing. Data is collected twice weekly and uploaded to the Environmental Air Quality Data Entry System (EAQDES) of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi. Findings are also disseminated via social media, the board’s website, and district administration portals.
While concentrations of gaseous pollutants like SO2 and NO2 remain within National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) limits, annual Particulate Matter (PM10) levels exceed the permissible 60 µg/m² threshold. This has led to Byrnihat being classified as a Non-Attainment City, triggering a City Action Plan (CAP) for pollution mitigation.
The CPCB has declared the Assam-side industrial zone near Byrnihat a Critically Polluted Area. To further analyze pollution sources, CSIR-NEERI has conducted an Emission Inventory and Source Apportionment Study (EI&SA), with the final report expected soon.
Addressing concerns over recent media reports, MSPCB clarified that the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 341 (categorized as “Very Poor”) on January 26, 2025, was recorded at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Burnihat, Assam. Meanwhile, MSPCB’s four monitoring stations reported a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI for Byrnihat throughout January, with only the EPIP station recording a ‘Moderate’ rating.