SHILLONG: A recent study by AirVoice, an organization focused on global air quality challenges, has revealed that the rising number of vehicles has significantly worsened air quality in Meghalaya’s capital city Shillong.
The AirVoice study, conducted between January and June 2024, analyzed air quality across several popular tourist destinations in India, including Shillong.
The study found that while Shillong’s air quality has deteriorated compared to cities like Gangtok in Sikkim and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerela, it is still better than industrial areas like Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.
Often referred to as the ‘Scotland of the East’, Shillong has been a popular destination for those seeking respite from bustling metropolitan cities and polluted environments.
According to official data, the total number of vehicles registered in Shillong has reached 5, 66,120 by mid-2024. The city witnessed the registration of 25,575 new vehicles this year alone, until July.
While there has been a slight decrease from the 40,383 vehicles registered in 2023, the number is still significantly higher than the 25,852 vehicles registered in 2021.
The growth in vehicle registrations saw a notable jump of 13.23 percent in 2021, followed by an even steeper increase of 37.96 percent in 2022.
The analysis, based on data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), found that Shillong exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards on 20% of monitored days, far exceeding the allowable 2% threshold for incident days. This places Shillong behind Goa (9%) and Gangtok (0%) but still better than Baddi (88%) and New Delhi (87%).
Notably, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are the primary contributors to air pollution in Shillong, frequently exceeding recommended levels.
In June 2024, Shillong recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 34, indicating relatively moderate air quality compared to New Delhi’s AQI of 108 but still worse than Gangtok’s AQI of 14.
