The Meghalaya government has directed the state pollution control board to conduct a comprehensive audit of industrial units in Byrnihat, following a report by Swiss firm IQAir ranking it as the most polluted urban space in the world.

The audit report must be submitted to the forest department within a week.

A statement issued by the state forest department on Tuesday night said chief minister Conrad Sangma issued the directive during a stock-taking meeting with department officials.

“The Meghalaya state pollution control board has been directed to carry out a comprehensive audit and inspection of all industrial units in Byrnihat on the Meghalaya side. This intensive audit must be completed within a week, with the report submitted to the forest and environment department,” the statement read.

The World Air Quality Report 2024, published by IQAir on March 11, stated that Byrnihat, a border town adjoining Assam, recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter.

Sangma, however, contested the findings, claiming that the “major sources of air pollution may be attributed to industrial and other activities along the Assam side.”

Byrnihat lies on the Assam-Meghalaya border, with its Assam counterpart known as Burnihat.