Byrnihat Residents Suffer Respiratory Issues and Skin Rashes as Town Ranks as World’s Most Polluted

Byrnihat: In Byrnihat, India, a two-year-old named Sumaiya Ansari was hospitalized in March and given oxygen support due to breathing problems. Byrnihat is ranked as the world’s most polluted metropolitan area by Swiss Group IQAir.

Ansari is among many residents of the industrial town on the border of Assam and Meghalaya states who are suffering from illnesses. Doctors believe these illnesses are linked to high exposure to pollution.

According to IQAir, Byrnihat’s annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2024 was 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter, which is over 25 times the level recommended by the WHO. PM2.5 is particulate matter that can be carried into the lungs, causing deadly diseases and cardiac problems.

According to government data, respiratory infection cases in the region rose to 3,681 in 2024 from 2,082 in 2022. Dr. J Marak of Byrnihat Primary Healthcare Centre stated that 90% of the patients they see daily come in with a cough or other respiratory issues. Residents also report that the toxic air causes skin rashes and eye irritation, damages crops, and restricts routine tasks.

Critics say that Byrnihat’s situation reflects a broader trend of pollution in India’s cities and smaller towns as industrialization erodes environmental safeguards. Byrnihat’s air quality remains poor throughout the year, unlike other parts of the country that face pollution every winter.

Byrnihat is home to about 80 industries, many of them highly polluting. Experts say that the problem is worsened by emissions from heavy vehicles and the town’s “bowl-shaped topography.”

Arup Kumar Misra, chairman of Assam’s pollution control board, says that the pollutants have no room to disperse because the town is sandwiched between the hilly terrain of Meghalaya and the plains of Assam.

A Meghalaya government official stated that the town’s location has also made finding a solution more difficult, with the states shifting blame to each other. However, Assam and Meghalaya have agreed to form a joint committee and work together to combat Byrnihat’s pollution since the release of IQAir’s report in March.

Disclaimer: This article is based on information available as of April 21, 2025, and relies on data and statements from the Economic Times, IQAir, and government sources.