With the earlier action plan remaining largely unimplemented, the Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) has partnered with iForest (International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology) to roll out a fresh strategy aimed at improving air quality in Guwahati.
The new ‘Guwahati Clean Air Plan’ was released on Wednesday and is part of a memorandum of understanding signed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit. The plan has been prepared in collaboration with the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.
According to the report, road dust and vehicular emissions are the biggest contributors to air pollution in the city. Of the estimated 1,071 tonnes per year of PM10 emissions, dust from construction activities and roads accounts for 37 per cent, followed by industries at 25 per cent and road transport at 21 per cent. Emissions from domestic and commercial cooking and heating contribute around 12 per cent.
For PM2.5 emissions, estimated at 435.3 tonnes per year, road transport emerges as the largest source, contributing 52 per cent. This is followed by road dust (16 per cent), domestic and commercial cooking (16 per cent), industries (6 per cent), and construction dust (4 per cent).
The report highlights widespread non-compliance with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines on dust management. Lapses include the absence of green net coverings at construction sites, lack of barricading around flyover projects, uncovered construction materials, poor coordination among agencies digging roads, open excavated sites, and dumping of waste along roadsides.
It also notes that although a similar action plan was introduced in 2018 to curb road and construction dust, most measures were never effectively implemented. To address this, the iForest plan recommends a strict enforcement mechanism—issuance of a show-cause notice for the first violation, halting construction for the second, and imposing a ban for repeated violations.
Traffic-related issues were identified as another major concern. The report points to the absence of a structured parking system, excessive on-street parking, operation of large buses on narrow roads, roadside encroachments, and poorly designed intersections, all of which contribute to congestion and higher vehicular emissions. A comprehensive traffic congestion management plan has been proposed to tackle these challenges.
On the industrial front, iron and steel units were flagged as dominant polluters, with coal-fired furnaces being the primary source of emissions, despite the presence of pollution control devices.
The report also raised alarms over Guwahati’s weak solid waste management system. Of the 884 tonnes of waste generated daily, only about 650 tonnes are collected, and roughly half of that is processed. Nearly seven per cent of the total waste is burnt, resulting in an estimated 61 tonnes of emissions per day, including significant PM10 and PM2.5 loads.
Additionally, natural dust re-suspension from the Brahmaputra riverbed on the northern side of the city was identified as a contributing factor. The report recommends improved soil stabilisation, enhanced green cover along riverbanks, and increased plantation across open and barren patches in the city to curb dust generation.
The release event was attended by APCB chairman Arup Kumar Mishra, MLA Mrinal Hazarika, musician Joy Baruah, Aaranyak secretary general Bibhab Talukdar, iForest CEO Dr Chandra Bhushan, Cotton University Vice-Chancellor R.C. Deka, and other stakeholders.
