Meghalaya shuts down 6 Byrnihat industrial units for flouting environmental norms
Earlier in 2023, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had attributed the spike in pollution levels in Byrnihat to factories and industries situated on the Assam side of the town.
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Guwahati, Sept 04: The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) issued closure notices to six industrial units in Byrnihat following an inspection on Tuesday.
The affected units are Shillong ISPAT and Rolling Mill, Shyam Century Ferrous Limited, Nalari Ferro Alloys Pvt Ltd, Jaintia Ferro Alloys Pvt Ltd, Maithan Alloys Ltd (Ferro Manganese), and Khasi Alloys Ltd.
The notices were issued for non-compliance with environmental pollution regulations and serious lapses in pollution control measures.
According to the investigation led by Principal Secretary of Forest and Environment, Sampath Kumar, the units were found to be flouting several norms, including the absence of a properly designated meter for a Pollution Control Device (PCD).
Additionally, the now-closed units failed to adhere to directives related to controlling emissions, including Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
The inspection also recorded PM 2.5 levels at 64.2 μg/m³, which far exceeded the unhealthy air quality threshold of 35 μg/m³ over a 24-hour period.
Kumar inspected 10 industrial units and found that six of them were not adhering to environmental norms despite repeated notices from the MSPCB.
Notably, a report issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in October 2023 labelled Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district of the state as the most polluted town in India, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 302.
In response to the report, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong expressed concern and attributed the spike in pollution levels in Byrnihat to factories and industries situated on the Assam side of the town.
He had noted that while the factories on the Meghalaya side are monitored by the MSPCB, those operating in Assam “often goes unmonitored”.
The Deputy Chief Minister had highlighted the geographical proximity of Byrnihat to Assam, with factories and industries lining up on the Assam side.
Byrnihat is a town on the border of Meghalaya and Assam.
