SHILLONG, March 8: The tiny industrial town of Byrnihat near the Meghalaya-Assam border has yet again earned the infamous tag of the most polluted city in India in February 2024.
Byrnihat recorded a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 183 µg/m3 which was around 60 µg/m3 higher than the second most polluted city of Araria in Bihar.
The PM2.5 levels in Byrnihat were also nearly 1.8 times the PM2.5 concentration recorded for Delhi for the same period, which was the 14th most polluted city in India for February 2024.
Apart from Byrnihat other cities in Northeastern region which made it to the list of 30 most polluted cities in India in February 2024 were Nalbari (5th), Agartala (12th), Guwahati (19th) and Nagaon (28th) highlighting the worsening pollution levels across the region.
Out of 11 cities with Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in Northeastern states, six exceeded the daily National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The report for February 2024 was compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Sivasagar, Silchar, Aizawl, and Imphal recorded monthly average PM2.5 concentrations below the NAAQS and were the cleanest cities in the region. Sivasagar was the second cleanest city in India, followed by Silchar in the 23rd spot. However, none of the cities complied with the WHO-safe guideline concentrations for PM2.5.
Sunil Dahiya, a South Asia Analyst at CREA, emphasized the pressing need for significantly bolstering air quality monitoring in the Northeastern states to track air pollution levels effectively.
Dahiya noted that these states, once renowned for their pristine environment, are now witnessing a concerning shift due to unregulated industrial operations, inadequate public transportation infrastructure, rampant construction lacking efficient pollution control measures, and other contributing factors.
The escalating pollution levels pose significant threats to public health and the region’s economy. Dahiya underscored the urgency of implementing aggressive measures to mitigate pollution emissions at their source, thereby safeguarding both public health and the economic well-being of the region.
