The Meghalaya State Judicial Academy organised a clean-air outreach programme in Byrnihat amid concerns over severe industrial pollution in the settlement along the Meghalaya-Assam inter-state boundary. The one-day programme brought together judicial, pollution-control and local development officials to discuss air-quality statistics, waste management and public action.
Held at the Multipurpose Hall in Byrnihat on Friday, the programme was conducted under the aegis of the High Court of Meghalaya. The academy organised it in collaboration with the office of the block development officer of the Umling community and rural development block in Ri-Bhoi district.
The programme, titled “Right to Clean Air: From Statistics to Action”, focused on the relationship between pollution data, public awareness and local responses. Meghalaya State Judicial Academy director KM Lyngdoh Nongbri highlighted access to clean air as a fundamental right while outlining the importance of the initiative.
Byrnihat is located along the Meghalaya-Assam border and falls partly within the jurisdiction of both states. The area is known for severe industrial pollution, making responsibility for environmental management dependent on coordination across administrative boundaries. The report did not provide specific air-quality readings or identify individual industrial units connected with the pollution concerns.
Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board chief environmental engineer Wanshanbor R Kharkrang and chief scientist S Swer conducted sessions on air-pollution statistics in Byrnihat. Their sessions placed local air-quality information and the regulatory framework for waste management at the centre of the outreach.
The officials also discussed the Waste Management Rules, 2026. The programme therefore addressed pollution not only as an industrial-emissions issue but also as a matter connected with how waste is handled and segregated in the local area. The supplied report does not specify the rules’ individual provisions or announce any new enforcement measure.
Students participating in the programme carried out hotspot mapping exercises. The activity was intended to help participants identify areas associated with pollution concerns, although the report does not state how many locations were mapped or whether the exercise will feed into an official monitoring system.
The outreach also included a waste-segregation challenge, a waste and pollution detective puzzle and video demonstrations. Vehicle waste pouches were distributed as part of the programme, adding a practical component focused on preventing the disposal of waste from vehicles.
The initiative placed a judicial academy in a public environmental-awareness role alongside the state pollution-control board and local development administration. Its immediate focus was education and community participation. Further details on follow-up inspections, enforcement action, additional monitoring or a formal cross-border pollution-management mechanism were not announced in the report.
