Shillong, March 13: With respect to the data as reported in the media, relating to IQAir’s World Air Quality Report 2024, stating Byrnihat as having recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 microgram per cubic meter(µg/m3), 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 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3).
MSPCB’s PM2.5 data on ambient air quality in Byrnihat during 2024) * Further, as per MSPCB’s data from January to March (first week),2025, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Byrnihatwas observed to be ‘Satisfactory.’
MSPCB’s AQI data for Byrnihat during January to March(first week) 2025] It may be mentioned that the MSPCB conducted surprise inspections at industrial units in EPIP and 13th Mile on 24th, 27th, and 31st January, 2025, and 5th February 2025.
The inspections revealed violations of pollution norms including heavy emissions from chimneys due to non-operation of pollution control devices, ineffective pollution control devices and non-transmission of online emission data. As a result, the MSPCB issued closure notices to seven industrial units and imposed environmental compensation on two industrial units.
The closure notices and ECs issued by the MSPCB) * Consequent to closure of the 7(seven) industrial units in Byrnihat, Meghalaya, from 29th January to 11th March, 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 indicate that the major sources of air pollution maybe attributed to industrial and other activities along the Assam side. AQI data from January to March (first week), 2025, from CAAQMS, Burnihat, Assam] The Burnihat Industrial Area in Assam, that runs along Byrnihat town of Meghalaya, has been designated as a Critically Polluted Area (CPA) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi.
In fact, it is to be pointed out that there are 20 (twenty) Red Category industries in Burnihat, Assam, as compared to 5 (five) in the Meghalaya side. 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 Byrnihatarea of Assam.
Category-wise table providing number of industries in Byrnihat-Assam and Byrnihat Meghalaya) The MSPCB has engaged the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Kolkata, for conducting Emission Inventory and Source Apportionment study of Byrnihat.
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.
