Byrnihat records ‘moderate’ air quality after stringent pollution controls

Shillong, Apr 25: Byrnihat town in Meghalaya recorded "moderate" air quality in an audit conducted by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) in the second week of March.

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024 released by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, Byrnihat is the world's most polluted town.

"In response to the severe pollution levels, the MSPCB conducted surprise inspections and issued penalties and closure notices to non-compliant industries on the Meghalaya side during late January and early February," MSPCB officials stated here on Thursday.

The officials said that "a comprehensive audit conducted in March revealed that all operational industrial units in the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP), Byrnihat, complied with stringent emission norms."

Due to the strict monitoring and control measures, the MSPCB station located at Byrnihat recorded the average AQI value at 110 during the third week of April, which is "moderate".

However, the AQI value obtained from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) operated by Assam at CAS-FOS, 13th Mile, Tamulkuchi, on the Assam side was a little poor and recorded as 123, but this value also falls under the moderate category.

The 123 AQI value at 13th Mile Tamulkuchi is in fact a decline in pollution levels from "severe" in January-February to "moderate" in recent weeks.

The decline in pollution level is mainly attributed to stringent enforcement like surprise inspections, penalties, and closure notices to industries.

Moreover, technological intervention like effective use of PCDs, real-time monitoring and fugitive emission controls (like sprinklers) also played a critical role, the officials added.

The cross-border coordination between Meghalaya and Assam authorities and the current weather conditions also helped in improving the air quality of Byrnihat.

By

Raju Das