The Meghalaya State Judicial Academy held a clean-air outreach programme in Byrnihat on Friday, bringing pollution data, hotspot mapping and waste-management awareness to a region affected by severe industrial pollution along the Meghalaya-Assam border.
The one-day programme, titled “Right to Clean Air: From Statistics to Action”, was organised at the Multipurpose Hall in Byrnihat by the Meghalaya State Judicial Academy under the aegis of the High Court of Meghalaya. It was conducted in collaboration with the office of the block development officer, Umling community and rural development block, in Ri-Bhoi district.
The programme focused on the public-health and governance dimensions of air pollution in Byrnihat Circle. The area is located along the inter-state boundary and falls partly within the jurisdiction of Meghalaya and Assam, making pollution management dependent on coordination across administrative borders.
Meghalaya State Judicial Academy director KM Lyngdoh Nongbri highlighted the importance of the initiative and said access to clean air was a fundamental right. The programme was designed to connect air-quality statistics with public action, rather than treating pollution only as an environmental issue.
Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board chief environmental engineer Wanshanbor R Kharkrang and chief scientist S Swer conducted sessions on air-pollution statistics in Byrnihat and the Waste Management Rules, 2026. The sessions placed local pollution concerns alongside the rules governing waste handling and segregation.
Students took part in hotspot mapping exercises intended to identify locations associated with pollution concerns. The outreach also included a waste-segregation challenge, a waste and pollution detective puzzle and video demonstrations. These activities were aimed at making pollution monitoring and waste management more accessible to local participants.
Vehicle waste pouches were distributed as part of the programme, linking roadside cleanliness and waste disposal with everyday transport activity. The initiative also brought judicial, administrative and pollution-control institutions into the same public-awareness exercise.
Byrnihat is known for severe industrial pollution, and its position across the Meghalaya-Assam boundary adds an institutional complication to monitoring and enforcement. The outreach did not announce a new pollution-control order, industrial restriction or enforcement action. Its stated focus was awareness, local mapping, air-quality education and waste-management practices. Further official steps following the programme were not specified in the report.
