Guwahati's first hotspot-based clean air plan launched

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Guwahati on Tuesday saw the launch of its first comprehensive, hotspot-based Clean Air Action Plan as authorities and environmental experts sought to counter the city's worsening air quality, which had remained above national limits for several years. The plan was unveiled by iFOREST in collaboration with the Assam Pollution Control Board following detailed ward-level mapping to identify pollution-intensive zones and targeted solutions.

The initiative responded to Guwahati's growing pollution burden, driven by rapid urban expansion, a surge in vehicles, sustained construction activity, waste burning and industrial emissions. Officials noted that the city's bowl-shaped geography, hemmed in by the Khasi hills and the Brahmaputra, had restricted air movement, allowing pollutants to accumulate. Data between 2017 and 2022 showed a consistent rise in particulate matter levels, particularly PM?? and PM?.?.

Speaking at the launch, iFOREST chief executive Chandra Bhushan said air pollution had imposed a heavy economic and health cost, stressing that the new plan aimed to ensure compliance with existing air quality standards through practical and location-specific measures. Assam Pollution Control Board chairman Arup Kumar Misra said changing climatic patterns, prolonged dry spells, expanding infrastructure and increasing vehicular traffic had transformed air pollution into a serious challenge for the city, adding that public cooperation would be crucial for the plan's success.

The study found that pollution hotspots shifted with the seasons. During summer, higher concentrations were recorded along the silted riverbanks of the Brahmaputra, floodplains, construction-dominated wards and major traffic corridors where dust resuspension was severe. In winter, poor dispersion conditions caused pollution to spread across central and eastern Guwahati, amplified by emissions from heating, cooking, waste burning and congestion. Commercial hubs and transport nodes such as Fancy Bazar, Ganeshguri, Beltola, Zoo Road Tiniali, Paltan Bazar and Jalukbari consistently showed elevated pollution levels.

Investigators identified open waste burning as a major contributor, noting that a large portion of the city's daily waste remained unprocessed, leading to routine dumping and burning. Residential and commercial cooking, especially the continued use of biomass and charcoal despite high LPG coverage, added significantly to neighbourhood-level pollution, while winter heating further intensified seasonal emissions. Transport-related pollution was linked to the dominance of private vehicles, ageing fleets and weak enforcement, alongside widespread use of diesel generators during power cuts and emissions from nearby industrial clusters.

The Clean Air Action Plan recommended phased interventions focusing on eliminating open waste burning, accelerating transitions to cleaner fuels, strengthening public transport and emissions enforcement, managing road and construction dust, upgrading industrial technologies and expanding monitoring systems. It also emphasized community participation, particularly in waste segregation and awareness campaigns, to ensure sustained improvement in Guwahati's air quality.       

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