Guwahati: Meghalaya HC has issued notices to the member secretary and a senior environmental engineer of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, over what the court described as a failure to take serious action against polluting industries in Byrnihat.Byrnihat, a small town along Assam-Meghalaya border, has been described as one of India’s most polluted places.The court expressed concern over the continued operation of some industrial units in Byrnihat despite closure notices issued by the authorities. It said MSPCB was “not a toothless body” and was expected to act in accordance with the law when conditions were violated.A division bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W Diengdoh, hearing a public interest litigation on Friday, said it was “constrained” to issue the notices after finding that MSPCB had failed to take effective action despite repeated court directions.The court directed the two MSPCB officials to remain present at the next hearing and file their replies by affidavit by Oct 13.The order followed a second ground inspection by amicus curiae Philemon Nongbri on Sept 22. The inspection found several discrepancies between the pollution control board’s action-taken report and conditions on the ground.The court noted that some industrial units continued to operate despite closure notices issued by the authorities concerned.The amicus also reported that wastewater from a brewery was flowing directly into a drain leading to Umtrew river, despite the unit having received a notice over the quality of its effluent. The inspection also recorded yellow-coloured, foul-smelling discharge from a factory entering open drains that led towards the river.The court took note of continuing dust pollution caused by a badly damaged road. Despite an earlier direction to undertake blacktopping and resurfacing, the amicus reported that the road remained unpaved and was riddled with potholes. The movement of heavy trucks generated large amounts of dust and contributed to elevated PM10 readings in the area.After perusing the report, the court said: “The MSPCB is not a toothless body. It is expected to take action in accordance with law, where the conditions are flouted.”It further noted that water-testing reports relating to Umtrew and other rivers had not been placed before it despite earlier directions.The court’s concern also relates to the health situation in Byrnihat. An earlier inspection found that cases of acute respiratory illness recorded at Byrnihat primary health centre had increased from around 1,800 in 2021 to 7,284 in 2025. PHC was described as operating from a cramped building with six inpatient beds and no dedicated isolation facilities.The health department told the court that around 410 chest X-rays had been conducted at PHC between April 2025 and June 2026, with abnormalities detected in about 273 patients.A Rs 12-lakh research study titled Association between Ambient Air Pollution and Respiratory Symptoms in Meghalaya has also been approved by govt, with Byrnihat identified as the priority area for the first phase.
