The huge disparity in air quality between two Meghalayan cities has brought attention to the state’s escalating environmental problems. Although Shillong continues to be one of the cleanest cities in India, Byrnihat, which is only 75 kilometers away, is one of the most polluted places in the country. Shillong has much cleaner air than Byrnihat, which has a dangerous AQI of 276 according to recent Central Pollution Control Board air quality readings. This discrepancy highlights the effects of Byrnihat’s industrial belt’s fast industrialization.
After inspections conducted by Forest & Environment Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar, officials closed six industrial units last month, bringing Byrnihat’s pollution problem to a head. The closed plants have disregarded the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board’s emission control guidelines on several occasions. Important pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide were not monitored by the facilities.
Shillong has the cleanest air in India, right up there with Ramanathapuram and Nalbari. For Meghalaya’s environmental officials, this poses a difficult conundrum: preserving Shillong’s pure air while dealing with the industrial pollution problem in Byrnihat. Poor air quality is still a problem in other large cities. Delhi’s air quality index was 268; nearby cities Gurugram and Ghaziabad also had low AQIs, putting their citizens’ health at serious risk.
