Guwahati: Byrnihat, a small industrial town on the Assam-Meghalaya border, ranked last among cities with populations below three lakh in the latest Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, the Centre’s annual clean-air ranking.The ranking comes amid the town’s longstanding struggle with air pollution. Byrnihat scored 108.5, the lowest among the 40 cities in its population category.The town was ranked below Kohima, which stood 36th with a score of 134.1, and Dimapur, which ranked 34th with 146.5. Assam’s Nagaon stood 33rd, while Sivasagar, Silchar and Nalbari performed significantly better.Several small-scale industrial units in Byrnihat, including those producing ferroalloys, tyres and tubes, cement and polythene products, have been identified as sources of pollution. The movement of heavy trucks across the inter-state border, which contributes to high emissions, also play a major role in the severe AQI levels.“While the situation has improved significantly compared to last time, more needs to be done. There is an action plan for Byrnihat, which has been implemented to some extent,” a Pollution Control Board source said.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of the severe air pollution in Byrnihat last year. The matter was taken up by the NGT Eastern Zone Bench to examine pollution-control and regulatory measures. Authorities reported implementing continuous air-quality monitoring, industrial inspections, stack-emission testing, directions to non-compliant industries. Closure action was also taken against at least one violating unit.Meanwhile, Guwahati improved its position in the ranking, moving up to 15th place from 21st last year. The city recorded a score of 179.6 in the category for cities with populations between three lakh and 10 lakh. The ranking places the Assam capital ahead of several other cities in the category.Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) mayor Mrigen Sarania attributed the improvement to sustained efforts by the civic body and greater public awareness. “We have been working on this consistently, doing our best to keep the dusty roads watered, manage construction waste responsibly, and address the challenges that come with the ongoing work. More importantly, people have become increasingly aware and involved, and that collective awareness has given us the encouragement and momentum to keep moving forward. It is a continuous effort,” he said.
