Meghalaya forms joint panel to tackle Byrnihat pollution, mulls regional pollution office

Shillong, July 7: The Meghalaya government has constituted a joint committee to address the worsening pollution crisis in Byrnihat following growing public concern over deteriorating air quality and its impact on residents’ health.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Cabinet Minister and Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun in Byrnihat on Monday. The meeting was attended by officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), representatives of the Byrnihat Industries Association, the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), and local village leaders.

During the meeting, village representatives voiced concerns over rising pollution levels, increasing health problems and what they described as inadequate action by the authorities.

To strengthen monitoring, a Joint Committee comprising MSPCB officials and representatives of local village authorities has been formed. The panel will receive public complaints, monitor pollution levels and allow residents to submit photographs and videos as evidence to facilitate prompt action against violators.

In another key proposal, the MSPCB suggested establishing a regional office in Byrnihat to improve pollution monitoring and speed up enforcement. Minister Sohtun assured the gathering that he would take up the proposal with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

Meanwhile, the Byrnihat Industries Association maintained that industries located in Meghalaya have been implementing measures to curb emissions and claimed that a significant portion of the pollution affecting Byrnihat originates from industrial units across the Assam border.

The meeting comes amid growing concern over Byrnihat’s air quality, with the industrial town repeatedly featuring among the country’s most polluted areas in recent pollution assessments.

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