Meghalaya HC pulls Centre, state on pollution in Byrnihat

The high court has pulled up the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) for filing an inadequate affidavit on pollution in Byrnihat and sought a comprehensive report detailing action taken against polluting industries, including those contaminating the Umtrew river. Byrnihat, an industrial hub along the Meghalaya-Assam border, has repeatedly figured among the country's most polluted urban areas due to deteriorating air quality and industrial emissions. Hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh observed that the affidavit filed by the MSPCB lacked crucial data on action taken against polluting industries in Byrnihat and those discharging pollutants into the Umtrew river.

The court directed the pollution control board to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing action taken against each polluting industry, compliance with recommendations made by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), and measures implemented in line with a recent Supreme Court judgment on pollution control. The bench also sought reports on steps taken to address pollution in several rivers in East Jaintia Hills, including the Waikhyrwi, Thwai Kungor, Rawaka, Kmai-um, Metyngka, Ummynkseh and Umkyrpong, noting that their water quality had been studied by various institutions, including the Meghalaya Institute of Natural Resources.

The state government was directed to inform the court about measures being taken by the Public Works Department and other agencies concerned to improve roads in the Byrnihat industrial area, as recommended by NEERI. Taking note of health concerns linked to pollution, the court accepted an affidavit from the Health Department stating that a Rs 12 lakh research project has been sanctioned to study the association between ambient air pollution and respiratory illnesses, with Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district chosen as the first phase of the study.

The bench also asked the Health Department to consider deploying a radiologist at the Byrnihat Primary Health Centre at least three times a week, after being informed that X-rays taken at the facility are currently sent to Nongpoh Civil Hospital due to the absence of a radiologist. The Transport Department was directed to report on measures taken to curb vehicular emissions, particularly from trucks operating in the industrial belt.

The Central Pollution Control Board was also asked to file an affidavit detailing coordination with the Assam Pollution Control Board, as part of Byrnihat and several industries are located across the interstate boundary. The court appointed advocate Philemon Nongbri as amicus curiae, assisted by advocates R Pahsyntiew and DS Pajat, and directed them to visit Byrnihat, including the local PHC, and submit a report before the next hearing. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 10.