Byrnihat

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Byrnihat

[[File:|250x250px|frameless|center]]

Settlement type Industrial town
Country India
State
District
Subdivision

Byrnihat is a town in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya, India,[1] located on the Meghalaya–Assam border.[2] It is an industrial town—its economy is based on the many industries located in the area. It was ranked as the most polluted city in India in 2023 by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, and as the most polluted city in the world in 2024 by IQAir. Its groundwater has also been found to be contaminated. This pollution has been blamed on several factors, including industrial pollution.

A national highway passes through Byrnihat; emissions from vehicles traveling on this highway have also been blamed for the pollution. The site has served as a border checkpoint multiple times in its history. Railway lines connecting the town with Assam have been planned or proposed multiple times, but have received firm opposition.

History

Byrnihat was a border checkpoint between Meghalaya and Assam as of 1986.[3] Alternative agricultural practices were researched here from 1975 to 1983 to find a viable alternative to shifting cultivation.[4] The Indian Express reported in 1992 that according to a case study, 21 plant species had become endangered in the town due to the practice.[5]

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Byrnihat was designated as one of the entry points for transportation of goods from Assam into Meghalaya, to prevent the spread of COVID from Assam to Meghalaya.[6][7] In July 2020, the government of Meghalaya moved the entry point at the town to another location, after facing pressure from the government of Assam.[8] Industries based in the Byrnihat industrial area were discovered in April 2021 to have engaged in power theft.[9] A health centre was set up in the town in June of the year to serve Ri-Bhoi district residents with mild COVID cases.[10] Byrnihat experienced heavy rains in May 2022.[11]

It was proposed in 2024 that over Template:Cvt of forest land at Byrnihat be converted to a new industrial estate,[12][13] which has raised concerns about the project's environmental impact.[14] The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, stated that the land is not a recorded forest land and that the proposal will only move forward if the locals are comfortable with it.[13][14] The Assam-based Hindu organization Kutumba Surakshya Parishad scheduled protests against the banning of Hindu rituals in the Mawjymbuin Cave on 24 December of the year, one of them allegedly including blocking the Meghalaya-Assam Highway in the Byrnihat area.[15] These were banned by the administration of the Ri-Bhoi district to maintain tranquility before Christmas celebrations.[16]

Geography

Byrnihat is located at a low altitude,[17] between 66[1] and 100[18] metres above sea level. It has a tropical climate, with an average minimum and maximum temperature of 17.5 °C and 28 °C, respectively.[19] It has a high annual temperature compared to Shillong.[17] The average rainfall in Byrnihat was 212 mm, as of 1992.[19] The Byrnihat area has hilly terrain.[18] The town's geography affects the kinds of products sold in its weekly market.[20]

The town is in the Umling block of the Ri-Bhoi district, in Meghalaya. It is located on the Guwuhati-Shillong roadways (GS road).[1] It is 90 km away from Shillong and 14 km away from Guwahati.[21]

Demographics

Template:Historical populations According to the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), the population of Byrnihat and its adjacent villages was 5444 in 2011.[1] The Pollution Control Board of Assam stated in 2020 that the town has a population of 10,000.[18] Deutsche Welle stated in 2025 that it has a population of 50,000.[22] The Byrnihat region is populated by Khasi people who speak the Bhoi dialect of the Khasi language.[23] Residents of Byrnihat are familiar with the Assamese, Bengali, Nepalese and Mikir languages.[24]

Economy

Byrnihat is an industrial town.[25] It developed into an industrial hub during the late 1990s.[22] It hosts an industrial estate[26]Template:Rp called the Export Promotion Industrial Park,Template:Efn which was built at Byrnihat by the government.[27] The estate is located adjacent to the Umtrew river, and spans 256 acres, as of 2024.[28] It provides firms that settle there with infrastructure and financial incentives such as subsidies and tax holidays, to attract investors into the region.[27] It is partially in Meghalaya and partially in Assam.[29] The town has about 80 industries as of 2025.[25][22] The closure of coke plants by pollution control boards after Byrnihat was ranked atop pollution charts has left some residents unemployed.[30]

A Bamboo Technology Park has been built in the town by the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council.[31] Betel nuts and betel leaves are major crops in Byrnihat.[30]

Byrnihat has a weekly market which operates every Friday.[20] Consumers in the markets of Byrnihat and the nearby Guwahati avoid agricultural produce from the Meghalayan town.[32]

Pollution

Pollution is a major problem in Byrnihat. In 2024, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a non-profit think tank, reported that Byrnihat was India's most polluted city in 2023, having an annual average PM10 concentration of 301 micrograms per cubic metre.[33][34] In 2025, IQAir, a Swiss air technology company,[35] ranked the town as the most polluted city in the world in 2024, with a PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 μg/m³ that year.[36][22][37] Its particulate matter concentration surpassed places more well known for pollution problems, such as Delhi, in both years.[34][35] The National Clean Air Programme includes Byrnihat in its list of non-attainment cities, a list of the most polluted cities of India.[38] Its air pollution has reportedly caused health problems such as respiratory issues, eye irritation, skin rashes, tuberculosis, and cancer. The pollution has also been reported to damage crops and water sources.[39][25] The number of respiratory infection cases in the region rose by 76.8% from 2022 to 2024, from 2,082 to 3,681.[25] The town's groundwater is contaminated with heavy metals, such as cadmium, chromium, and lead, at levels which exceed limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards and the World Health Organization, according to two 2024 studies.[21][28] The Umtrew river, Byrnihat's main water source, is polluted by effluent.[32]

Byrnihat's pollution has been attributed to the industrial activities in the area,[40] emissions of vehicles moving through the Meghalaya-Assam border, construction,[29][41][2] mining,[21] the use of wood as a fuel, burning of solid waste, and resuspension of road dust.[42] The town has been said to have a bowl-shaped topography which prevents pollutants from leaving the area.[25][22] The Byrnihat Industries Association has contested the culpability of Byrnihat's industries in pollution of the town.[43]

After the Central Pollution Control Board recorded Byrnihat as the most polluted settlement in India on 25 October 2023, with an Air Quality Index of 302,[44] the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Prestone Tynsong, stated that Byrnihat's factories are "well monitored by the MSPCB" and are fewer in number compared to the part of Assam bordering Byrnihat.[2] After IQAir's report was released in 2025, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, challenged IQAir's report by saying that the MSPCB found Byrnihat's PM2.5 concentration in 2024 to be 50.1 μg/m³. He also stated that Assam's part of the Byrnihat area may be a major contributor to the pollution, as it has 20 industries with a high pollution potential, while Byrnihat has only 5. He called for a join effort between Assam and Meghalaya on the issue.[45][46] The chairman of the MSPCB, R. Nainamalai, stated in January 2026 that pollution levels in the Meghalayan part of Byrnihat have dropped to moderate after the shuttering of several red category units.[30]

In February 2022, factories at the Export Promotion Industrial Park were inspected by local authorities following pollution complaints by locals.[47] The MSPCB inspected ten industrial units in the town on 3 September 2024, six of which were found to not comply with pollution regulations and were issued closure notices.[48] Six other units were shut down for failure to comply with environmental norms after inspections in January 2025,[49] but this did not result in a significant change in air quality.[22] As of February 2026, fifteen industrial units have been closed on the Assam side of the Byrnihat area since the town was placed atop pollution rankings.[30]

Transportation

Rail

Planned railway projects that go to Byrnihat include the Tetelia–Byrnihat line and the Byrnihat–Shillong line. These lines have faced much opposition in Meghalaya from various groups,[50] especially the Khasi Students Union (KSU),Template:EfnTemplate:Efn due to the fear that it would bring "outsiders"Template:Efn into Meghalaya[51][52][26]Template:Rp and turn the indigenous communities into minorities.[52] A line that goes from Azara in Assam to Byrnihat had also been proposed,[53] but was replaced by the Tetelia–Byrnihat line.[54][55] In the 1980s, proposals to establish a railhead at Byrnihat were shelved due to protests by the KSU[56] and arguments by the opposition in the Meghalayan parliament.[57][58]

Road

National Highway 6 passes through the town.[30]

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Template:Cite report
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Meghalaya's Byrnihat overtakes Delhi as most polluted urban centre in India. Northeast News(27 October 2023). Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  3. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  4. ↑ Exploring Synergies and Trade-offs Between Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Springer Nature(16 November 2020). ISBN 9789811573019
  5. ↑ Tribals refuse to give up jhum. The Indian Express(26 August 1992). Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  6. ↑ Meghalaya on border alert. The Telegraph(3 April 2020). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Coronavirus screening of visitors at Byrnihat. The Telegraph(19 March 2020). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  8. ↑ Meghalaya succumbs to Assam's pressure: Entry point at Byrnihat will be shifted to another location. Northeast Now(15 July 2020). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Probe unearths massive power theft at Byrnihat Industrial Area. The Assam Tribune(9 April 2025). Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  10. ↑ Jirang MLA sets up Corona Care Centre at Byrnihat. Highland Post(3 June 2021). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  11. ↑ 2 killed in Meghalaya as torrential rain lashes parts of Northeast. Hindustan Times(13 May 2022). Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Govt to set up new industrial estate in Byrnihat. Highland Post(12 June 2024). Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 No conversion of 'forest land' for industry at Byrnihat: CM. The Times of India(6 March 2025). Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Conrad reassures Meghalaya Investment Promotion Agency won't bypass Land Transfer Act. Shillong Today(6 March 2025). Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  15. ↑ Mawjymbuin Cave row: East Khasi Hills DC invites Hindu group for discussions on Jan 5. The Assam Tribune(24 December 2024). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  16. ↑ Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi Administration Bans Assam Hindu Body From Protesting In Byrnihat And Khanapara. The Sentinel(24 December 2024). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Moderately high altitude habitation modulates lipid profile and alkaline phosphatase activity in aged Khasis of Meghalaya. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry({Template:Date).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Template:Cite report
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Enzyme activities related to litter decomposition in forests of different age and altitude in North East India. Soil Biology and Biochemistry({Template:Date).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Weekly market: A study on Byrnihat market in Ri-Bhoi District of Meghalaya, Purkayastha, Nabarun. University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Heavy metal contamination and health risks in ground water at Byrnihat industrial area: urgent need for remediation and public health safeguards. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy({Template:Date).
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 India: How a small town topped global pollution charts. Deutsche Welle(8 July 2025). Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  23. ↑ Socio-Psychological Aspects of Language Contact: A Case Study of the Khasis in Byrnihat. International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics({Template:Date).
  24. ↑ Navigating Identity: A Study of the Khasis in Meghalaya's Multilingual Borderlands. Indian Journal of Language and Linguistics({Template:Date).
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Indians battle respiratory issues, skin rashes in world's most polluted town. Reuters(21 April 2025). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Unruly Hills: A Political Ecology of India's Northeast{{#if:Karlsson|, Karlsson}. Berghahn Books(2011). ISBN 9780857451057
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Poverty and power in one of India's poorest areas. BBC(7 February 2010). Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Evaluation of ground water quality using heavy metal pollution indices and estimation of health risk. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry({Template:Date).
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Byrnihat Residents Grapple With Health Issues Caused by Air Pollution: Report. The Wire(23 April 2025). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 ‘We can’t breathe here’: Lives and livelihoods in Byrnihat, India’s most polluted town. Deccan Herald(7 February 2026). Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  31. ↑ The NEC Yearbook 2025{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. North East Council
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Template:Cite magazine
  33. ↑ India's choking beyond Delhi: Byrnihat shows we have a big unnoticed pollution problem. The Times of India(30 September 2024). Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Meghalaya's Byrnihat India's Most Polluted City In 2023: Report. NDTV(10 January 2024). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Where in India is Byrnihat, the world's most polluted city. The Times of India(12 March 2025). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  36. ↑ Majority of the world's population breathes dirty air, report says. Associated Press(11 March 2025). Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  37. ↑ Top 10 most polluted Indian cities (2024-25): Delhi tops the list, Byrnihat ranked worst globally. The Indian Express(13 March 2025). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  38. ↑ City Dashboard. Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities (Central Pollution Control Board). Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  39. ↑ This Meghalaya city topped list of world's most polluted cities in 2024. India Today(14 March 2025). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  40. ↑ Hyd air quality down marginally over 5 yrs. Deccan Chronicle(8 June 2025). Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  41. ↑ Why Meghalaya's Byrnihat has the most polluted air in the world. India Today(12 March 2025). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  42. ↑ Template:Cite report
  43. ↑ Byrnihat: Call for study on 'actual' sources of pollution. The Shillong Times(19 March 2025). Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  44. ↑ Byrnihat tagged as most polluted area in India; Dy CM blames factories on Assam side. Hub News(26 October 2023). Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  45. ↑ Assam major source of pollution in Byrnihat: Meghalaya CM. The Hindu(13 March 2025). Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  46. ↑ Meghalaya govt contradicts Swiss report, says Byrnihat's air quality index is satisfactory. Deccan Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  47. ↑ Local legislator, others inspect factories in Byrnihat area. The Shillong Times(16 February 2022). Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  48. ↑ Meghalaya shuts down 6 Byrnihat industrial units for flouting environmental norms. The Assam Tribune(4 September 2024). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  49. ↑ Air pollution: Six Byrnihat industrial units shut down. The Shillong Times(6 February 2025). Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  50. ↑ Meghalaya explores railway projects despite resistance. The Statesman(11 October 2023). Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  51. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TOIrail
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Why the Indian Railways is likely to shelve projects in Meghalaya. The Indian Express(24 March 2025). Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  53. ↑ Protest cloud on rail project - Residents oppose Azara-Byrnihat link. The Telegraph(25 January 2008). Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  54. ↑ India's Approach to Border Management: From Barriers to Bridges{{#if:Das|, Das}. Routledge(26 August 2024). ISBN 9781032430126
  55. ↑ Template:Cite SSRN
  56. ↑ Khasi Frustrations. Economic and Political Weekly({Template:Date).
  57. ↑ [{{{url}}} Interview with Chairman of North East Council]. The Statesman(9 September 1983).
  58. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
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