By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 28: The Assam government has extended its support and cooperation to Meghalaya to bring down Byrnihat’s pollution level.
“As you know, Byrnihat belongs to both Assam and Meghalaya. We have a shared responsibility, and I will work with the government of Meghalaya to see that the pollution level comes down,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at an event at the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) on Friday.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma recently reached out to Sarma, proposing the formation of a joint committee to tackle pollution in Byrnihat.
The initiative seeks to create a collaborative approach to combat pollution effectively in Byrnihat, designated by IQAir as the “most polluted city in the world” in its World Air Quality Report 2024. It was a dubious “graduation” for the town from its earlier tag of India’s most polluted urban space.
Sangma said he wrote to Sarma and had a direct conversation regarding the need for synchronised efforts.
“Keeping in mind the environmental concerns, especially in the border town of Byrnihat, I have written and spoken to the Chief Minister of Assam to form a joint committee to coordinate efforts,” he had said.
According to the IQAir report, Byrnihat recorded the highest PM2.5 concentration in the world last year, averaging 128.2 µg/m3.
The report analysed data from 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions. It identified 13 Indian cities among the world’s 20 most polluted, with Byrnihat topping the list.
While India’s overall air quality improved by 7% in 2024, dropping the country’s rank from third to fifth most polluted globally, cities like Byrnihat and Delhi continued to struggle.
Byrnihat’s pollution woes are attributed to emissions from local industries, including distilleries, iron, and steel plants.