The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) on JUne 30 said an inspection of an ethanol and distillery unit in Byrnihat found no violation of prescribed emission standards, dismissing allegations that the plant was contributing to environmental pollution.
The inspection was carried out after social media posts raised concerns over alleged pollution from M/s Umiam Distillation Pvt. Ltd., located at the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) in Byrnihat.
The industrial town had recently drawn international attention after being ranked the world’s most polluted metropolitan area in the 2024 World Air Quality Report released by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
Acting suo motu without waiting for a formal complaint, the MSPCB deputed its task force to inspect the unit on June 29.
During the inspection, officials conducted source-emission monitoring by measuring particulate matter (PM), stack velocity, differential pressure and temperature. According to the pollution board, the particulate matter concentration recorded at the facility was well below the permissible limit specified under the unit’s Consent to Operate (CTO).