Horror in the world's most polluted town: People get sick en masse, vegetables wither

Kinh hoàng thị trấn ô nhiễm nhất thế giới: Dân mắc bệnh hàng loạt, rau trồng héo úa - Ảnh 1. — A garbage dump is burned right on the roadside of Byrnihat town, India on March 29 - Photo: REUTERS

According to Reuters news agency on April 21, the Indian town of Byrnihat - located between the two states of Assam and Meghalaya - is facing an outbreak of diseases related to air pollution.

The Swiss organization IQAir has also ranked the town as the most polluted urban area in the world , with shockingly high concentrations of fine particulate matter.

According to IQAir's report, in 2024 the average PM2.5 concentration in the town of Byrnihat was 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter - 25 times higher than the recommended level by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The severe air pollution in this town has caused thousands of residents, especially children, to suffer from respiratory illnesses such as persistent coughs, shortness of breath, pneumonia, as well as symptoms of skin and eye irritation.

In one case, two-year-old Sumaiya Ansari was hospitalized with breathing difficulties and required oxygen support for several days. Her father, Abdul Halim, described the terrifying moment he watched his daughter “breathe like a fish out of water” before being rescued.

“Ninety percent of the patients who come in every day have symptoms of cough or respiratory problems,” said Dr. J. Marak of Byrnihat Medical Center. According to data from local authorities, the number of respiratory infections in the area has nearly doubled in two years, from 2,082 in 2022 to 3,681 in 2024.

The main cause is believed to be emissions from more than 80 industrial facilities and heavy trucks in this town. In addition, the basin-shaped terrain of this area also prevents air circulation, making it difficult for pollutants to escape.

Additionally, the town's location on the border between two states also makes it more difficult to resolve the problem, as the states keep passing the buck to each other, said an unnamed Meghalaya state official.

Following the release of the IQAir report, the governments of Assam and Meghalaya pledged to cooperate by forming a joint committee to find a solution to the pollution crisis in the town of Byrnihat.

Unlike other parts of India where pollution is mostly concentrated in winter, Byrnihat is polluted all year round. Experts say this is the result of rapid industrialization without proper environmental protection measures.