Guwahati one of the most polluted city in India

From rogue dust clouds and chaotic construction to the rise of child respiratory issues, the article explores Guwahati ‘s descent from fresh air haven to smog-filled skyline, and what’s being done (and not done) to fix it. An adoption from an article in Assam Tribune.

Let’s not beat about the bush—unless of course, the bush has been dug up to lay a pipeline. Guwahati, the so-called “Gateway to the Northeast,” is now more akin to a sandpaper factory on overdrive. Once a breath of fresh air compared to its metro cousins, the city has found itself wearing the rather dubious crown of the second most polluted city in India (March 2023), as per a Swiss air quality firm. One can only assume the Swiss were gasping too.

Since that breathless revelation, things haven’t exactly improved. The city now coughs its way through a landscape dominated by concrete dreams, rogue dust clouds, and the kind of construction frenzy that would make even Bob the Builder throw in the trowel.

A Breath of Fresh… Dust?

According to the Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA), Guwahati’s ambient air quality in 2021 already had PM10 levels at a staggering 108 micrograms/m³—well above safe levels. Nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide were lower but still lurking about like uninvited dinner guests. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) for 2022–23 clocked in at a rather unhealthy 114. The numbers for 2023–24 are still being tallied—but let’s not hold our breath. Literally.

Short Legs, Big Trouble

While everyone’s lungs are taking a bit of a beating, it’s the children who are getting the worst of it—closer to the ground, and thus the first to breathe in the cocktail of dust and diesel. According to paediatrician Dr Rekha Borkotoky, early exposure can trigger everything from asthma to pneumonia. The rise of something ominously called airway remodelling means even medicines start throwing up their hands in surrender.

Dr Borkotoky also highlighted a troubling rise in neuro-cognitive issues—irritability, lack of focus, and even autism are on the radar, with maternal exposure to pollutants under investigation. It’s enough to make you want to wrap your offspring in bubble wrap and hide them indoors.

Culprit Corner: Construction Chaos and Motor Mayhem

So who’s mucking it up? According to Dr Arup Kumar Misra, head of the PCBA and perhaps the only man in Guwahati brave enough to say it plainly, it’s not industry, it’s infrastructure. Flyovers, bridges, dug-up roads, Jal Board pipelines, fibre optic cables, and piped gas projects have the city looking like a war zone minus the tanks.

Add to that a relentless stream of cars (over 10,000 new ones registered each month) and you’ve got the perfect storm of particulate matter. Throw in a miserly monsoon—March saw a 26% rainfall deficit—and voilà, the dust refuses to lie down, quite literally.

The Byrnihat Bombshell

Now let’s talk about Byrnihat, Guwahati’s next-door neighbour turned industrial smoke machine. Sitting awkwardly on the Assam-Meghalaya border, it was once a promising patch of land with dreams of development. Today, it’s home to 39 industries—ranging from red-category (a.k.a. the naughty list) to more benign green ones. Byrnihat contributes significantly to Guwahati’s air woes, sending pollutants drifting over like uninvited party crashers.

Efforts are being made—restrictions on trucks, reining in fly ash mishandling, and even planting fast-growing trees. But it’s a bit like trying to mop the floor while the tap’s still running.

What’s the Government Doing (Besides Watching the Dust Settle)?

The PCBA is, to be fair, not twiddling its thumbs. They’re:

• Monitoring industry emissions daily

• Enforcing pollution-control devices

• Planting trees like they’re going out of fashion

• Operating 200 green buses and 40 waste vehicles

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• Sprinkling water over roads like confetti at a wedding

There’s also Nagar Van, NCAP, and a strong pitch for community participation. Because as Dr Misra wisely notes, you can buy a shiny water sprinkler, but if you’re still burning household rubbish or joyriding your diesel SUV for milk, you’re basically throwing dust in your own eyes.

The Bigger Picture: Airsheds and Shared Woes

Perhaps the most refreshing idea from the PCBA is the air shed approach—because let’s face it, air doesn’t stop at the toll gate. Pollution control must transcend city limits, bureaucratic egos, and political turf wars. Eight agencies—from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation to the Forest Department—are now meant to play nice and work together. Whether they do, of course, remains to be seen.

So, What’s the Bottom Line?

Guwahati is having a midlife crisis. Caught between growth and breath, progress and pollution, flyovers and fresh air—it’s trying to become a modern city while still learning how not to choke on its own ambition.

What the city needs now is not just rules but a bit of common sense, a dash of community effort, and a proper slap on the wrist for the worst offenders. Oh, and perhaps a bit of rain—if the clouds can find their way back, that is.

Until then, dear reader, if you must step out, do as Dr Borkotoky suggests—mask up, plant a tree, and for heaven’s sake, leave the aerosol at home. Your lungs will thank you.

News Sources : The Assam Tribune