Meghalaya: Air quality declines in Shillong due to increasing number of vehicles, claims study

AirVoice, an organisation which provides air quality data with our integrated data analysis and mapping solution has revealed that the air quality in Meghalaya's capital city Shillong has deteriorated due to increasing number of vehicles.

The study, which was conducted between January and June 2024, states that the city's air quality has deteriorated more than that of Gangtok and Thiruvananthapuram, however, it remains comparatively better than air quality in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi and New Delhi.

Media reports citing official data inform that the total number of vehicles registered in Shillong this year until July is 25,575. Meanwhile, the total number of vehicles registered in the city in 2023 were 40,383.

The total number of vehicles registered overall in the city is 5,66,120 by July, 2024, as per data. 

Meanwhile, the Umiam bridge which was open only to one-way traffic between Guwahati and Shillong had led to extensive snarls on both sides. It must be mentioned that the Meghalaya government had approved the resumption of two-way traffic on the Umiam bridge starting July 30, following the completion of repairs.

On August 2, the Meghalaya Transport Department announced new weight and size restrictions for vehicles crossing the Umiam Dam bridge.

Effective immediately, only single-axle vehicles weighing less than 9 metric tonnes, including their load, will be permitted to use the bridge.