Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, speaking in the House, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling environmental concerns in Byrnihat, a border town with industrial units on both the Assam and Meghalaya sides. He stated that a letter had been sent to the Assam Chief Minister, highlighting the issue and seeking a joint action plan involving experts and officials from both states.
“Recently I have written a letter to the Chief Minister of Assam flagging this particular and important issue and requested that a joint action plan be made on consultation with experts and official from both sides as Byrnihat being a border town where both sides are having industrial units of different categories. Let me assure especially the citizens of Byrnihat area on both sides, whether it’s Assam or Meghalaya, that we are concerned about this particular issue and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this issue is resolved or minimised to the maximum level,” Sangma said.
Reaffirming the government’s dedication, he added, “The health and the overall environment of the area is a very important concern for the government as well as the MLAs who met me to ensure this issue is addressed. So therefore, let me assure the House that a joint action plan will be developed once we are able to meet the Assam and Meghalaya issues. Though the tag of Meghalaya is being put on this, there are concerns on both sides of the border, and hence this issue has to be addressed by both states together.”
Addressing regulatory action against polluting industries, Sangma confirmed that “MSPCB issued closure notices to seven industrial units and imposed environmental compensation on two industrial units.” His remarks underscored rising environmental concerns linked to industrial activities in the region, with Assam’s Byrnihat Industrial Area now designated as a critically polluted zone by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi.
“The major source of air pollution may be attributed to the industries and other activities along the side. The Byrnihat Industrial Area in Assam that runs along the Byrnihat town of Meghalaya has been designated as a critically polluted area by the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi. In fact, it is to be pointed out that there are 20 red category industries in Byrnihat, Assam, as compared to five red category industries in Byrnihat, Meghalaya. As per the directives of the NGT and CPCB, the Assam PCB has prepared an action plan and adequate measures are being taken to restore and improve the environmental quality of the Byrnihat area of Assam.”
Sangma also addressed discrepancies in air quality data following IQAir’s World Air Quality Report 2024, which claimed Byrnihat recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 µg/m³. Refuting this, he stated, “It may, however, be pointed out that as per data generated from the four manual ambient air quality monitoring stations of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) located at Byrnihat town, the annual average PM2.5 concentration for 2024 is 50.1 µg/m³.” He further added, “As per MSPCB’s data from January to March (first week), 2025, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Byrnihat was observed to be ‘Satisfactory.’”
In response to growing concerns, regulatory inspections were intensified at industrial units in EPIP and 13th Mile in January and February 2025. These inspections exposed heavy emissions, non-operation of pollution control devices, ineffective pollution control systems, and failure to transmit online emission data. “Consequent to the closure of the seven industrial units in Byrnihat, Meghalaya, from January 29 to March 11, 2025, it may be pointed out that the AQI generated from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) installed in the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS), Burnihat, Assam, still reflected the AQI as ‘Poor’/‘Very Poor’ during most of the days. This indicates that the major sources of air pollution may be attributed to industrial and other activities along the Assam side.”
With the Burnihat Industrial Area in Assam housing 20 red category industries compared to Meghalaya’s five, environmental scrutiny remains a key focus. “As per direction of the Hon’ble NGT and CPCB, the Assam PCB has prepared an action plan and adequate measures are being taken to restore and improve the environmental quality of the Byrnihat area of Assam.”
To further assess pollution sources, the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has enlisted the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Kolkata, for an Emission Inventory & Source Apportionment study. Sangma elaborated, “Emission Inventory is an important tool for identifying the source of pollutants and quantitatively expressing their pollution load in a defined area at a particular time, while Source Apportionment is primarily based on measurements and tracking down the sources through receptor modeling. The study is completed, and the final report is under preparation.”