From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, March 20: Acting on the direction of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, senior officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) on Thursday conducted a comprehensive audit and assessment of industrial units in Byrnihat.
The officials examined four industrial units responsible for emitting pollutants. The drive will continue in the coming days and a detailed report will be submitted to the state government within seven days as directed.
MSPCB Member Secretary GH Chyrmang told the media the inspection is part of the government’s efforts to address air pollution in Byrnihat which was tagged as one of the most polluted areas in the world in 2024.
Chyrmang said the MSPCB set up a task force over a year ago to regularly inspect and monitor major industrial units. He said smaller factories are audited by one or two officers as required.
According to Chyrmang, the state government and the MSPCB are committed to exploring solutions for taking Byrnihat out of its current polluted status. He said pollution in the area is not caused by industries in Meghalaya alone but also due to industrial emissions from Assam.
He said the Meghalaya government has formally reached out to the Assam government, urging collaboration to address the issue. He also said that recent media reports indicated the Pollution Control Board of Assam has begun taking measures similar to those implemented by the MSPCB.
Chyrmang said this is not the first inspection conducted by the MSPCB but it has been regularly monitoring pollution levels. He said the Board shut down seven industrial units in the past few months for violating air pollution norms.
The MSPCB official expressed optimism that through joint efforts with Assam’s regulatory authorities, the pollution crisis can be mitigated. He noted that neither MSPCB nor the Pollution Control Board of Assam can single-handedly resolve the issue, as air pollution transcends boundaries.
At present, there are around eight industries on the Meghalaya side of Byrnihat which significantly contribute to air pollution. These units have been instructed to install Pollution Control Devices (PCDs) to filter emissions. The MSPCB has made it clear that any industry failing to install such devices will not be allowed to operate, and those with malfunctioning PCDs will be required to fix them before resuming operations.
Chyrmang acknowledged that some industries attempt to bypass regulations due to high electricity costs by disabling their PCDs when MSPCB officials are not present. This, he admitted, remains a challenge for the Board in its enforcement efforts.
Currently, online monitoring of air quality is being implemented, but the MSPCB is also working on tracking water pollution caused by industries, particularly those located along the Umtrew river in Byrnihat. The Board aims to establish an online monitoring system that would allow real-time pollution tracking from Shillong, eliminating the need for frequent on-site inspections.
Asked about the status of the seven industries previously shut down, Chyrmang said the MSPCB does not impose permanent closures. Instead, units found violating pollution norms are temporarily shut down and fined. They are only permitted to resume operations once they comply with environmental standards and clear penalties. If violations persist, the MSPCB will reimpose fines and enforce repeated shutdowns until compliance is achieved.
As observed over time, industrial units in Byrnihat continue to emit pollutants despite strict monitoring and enforcement by the MSPCB officials and staff. This challenge is largely due to the absence of an MSPCB field office in Byrnihat. At present, all MSPCB operations are managed from its headquarters in Shillong, requiring officials and staff to travel frequently for inspections and enforcement which makes regulatory efforts more difficult.