The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has issued closure notices to six ferro-alloy factories in Byrnihat for non-compliance with environmental pollution regulations and serious lapses in pollution control measures.
The affected industrial 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.
Principal Secretary of Forest and Environment, Sampath Kumar along with senior officials from the MSPCB conducted a thorough inspection of ten industrial units in Byrnihat yesterday.
It was found that six of the industrial units were not adhering to environmental norms despite repeated notices from the MSPCB.
During the inspection, the factories were found to be flouting several norms, including the absence of a properly designated meter for a Pollution Control Device (PCD) raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of the best practices of pollution control.
Additionally, the now-closed factories 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.
Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district of the State was categorised as the most polluted town in India, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 302.
According to data released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on March 7, Byrnihat had recorded a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 183µg/m3, which was 60µg/m3 higher than in Bihar’s Araria, the second-most polluted city in India.
