Inside The World's Most Polluted City

Brother, what I am going to show you right now... I mean, I have never seen it in my life. What a dystopian thing this is, brother! Meghalaya. Just hearing the name brings to our mind... mountains, forests, rivers... and that clean, green India which is sold as postcards on tourist websites. But in this very Meghalaya, there is a place

where a layer of pollution has settled even over nature. Right now, there is only smoke everywhere in the entire area. The toxic waste from the company, they install pipes and release it. My sister's husband also died, no one can even breathe... Please turn it off... No, I absolutely will not. How can you stop us?

It is becoming the country's most polluted village, people here are getting cancer because of it. Who will talk about that, man?

The list in front of you is the list of India's most polluted cities in 2024. You will see some of these names repeated every year. Ghaziabad, Noida, Loni, Faridabad, Delhi... But guess which was India's most polluted city? Not Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, or Loni... but it is Byrnihat in Meghalaya. Byrnihat's average PM 2.5 was 128.

The WHO's recommended limit is 5... meaning it is many times higher than that. Meghalaya is called the "Land of Clouds," right? In Meghalaya, there are forests, mountains, beautiful waterfalls, cleanliness... So, I went to Byrnihat to see exactly this: how in one of India's cleanest states is one of the most polluted cities. And when you pass through there, you won't even realize...

that this is the country's most polluted city.

So you see? I can do like this. Where did you get this from, brother? Look how straight it is. This, exactly this type of wood is used to make a flute. This is G-Skill. What is your name? Jamin? Now, Meghalaya is a tribal state. Two types of tribal communities, Garo and Khasi, live there.

Now, the people of the Garo and Khasi tribes mostly do not speak Hindi or English; they have their own languages. That's why, in order to talk to the people there, it was necessary to meet a local. Listen, I am a man from Delhi. Yes. Pollution is visible in Delhi when we... I mean, when we open the window...

we can't see the other building after opening the window because there is so much pollution there. So why is everything so black here? That blackness is the pollution coming out, right? That factory, it comes from the factory. Now, it is necessary to give some context here that although Byrnihat is in Meghalaya, its pollution technically belongs to Assam.

Understand it from the map. If you look, Guwahati falls almost on the border of Assam and Meghalaya. And if you go just 20 kilometers away from Guwahati, you will find Byrnihat. And on the outskirts of every city, there are its industries and factories. Similarly, the industries and factories of Guwahati are located in Byrnihat.

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So, if you want to use Odoo Expenses or other Odoo apps, the link is given in the description and pinned comment. Go check it out and make your business easier with Odoo. Look at this. Brother, look at the pollution.

Look, this is also pollution.

Take a look here also. Yes brother, even on the leaves. Yes, look on the leaves too. The vegetables that we farm, right? In these vegetables as well, there's a lot of blackness. The pollution reaches them, you have already seen how much of it has mixed in. It doesn't come off even by washing with water.

We have to wash it three or four times and then wipe it with a cloth, we have to clean it. I mean, when you look from a distance, everything looks green to you. As time slowly passed, I realized that it is green... but it is not lush green. On every single leaf and particle of this place,

there was a layer of pollution. Brother, what I am going to show you right now... I mean, I have never seen it in my life. This.

Can you see its color?

I have wiped off this much dust and grime from just one leaf of one tree. Do you see the difference? It is like this everywhere. What I am very amazed to see is that if there wasn't so much soot here, it's a very pristine, very beautiful village. There are no concrete houses here, you are walking comfortably,

there's this bamboo railing... Right now, I'm just thinking about how beautiful this place must have been seven or eight years ago when these factories weren't here. Right now, even if I try, I am unable to see its beauty.

Oh, I didn't ask your name? Oh, my name is Urmila. What are you doing right now, he is cooking vegetables, what else are you doing? I'm storing wood. I went to the forest, so I got completely exhausted, that's why he said he will cook, so he helped me. Yes... so does he cook vegetables like this when you get tired?

Yes, so he said that since I will be tired, he will cook, he will make vegetables, he will make food, he was saying that, so I said alright. Being a husband, he should help sometimes like this. Yes absolutely, absolutely, why shouldn't he? This sister's name was Urmila. So she was saying that her husband was cooking nearby,

cleaning the house, meaning he was doing the household chores. And this was very different for me. Because I come from North India, and there, the household chores are usually done by women. And if a man does them and someone visits the house, there is a slight sense of shame that, oh, a man is doing household chores, everyone will see...

But it wasn't like that here. In a very unique way, I saw equality. Because Meghalaya is one of the very few states in the country where there is still a matriarchal society. In fact, when a marriage takes place, the girl does not leave her home to come to the boy's place; instead, usually the boy leaves his home

and shifts to the girl's place. I took one leaf like this and I wiped it like this... it got completely dirty. And in the other villages, it's not this much. It is more in this one, right? Do you know this area of yours comes under the most polluted cities in the entire country?

There is so much pollution now, right? Earlier, it wasn't this much. How was it earlier? Earlier it was fine, it was medium-sized, and the pollution was also not much, now it has become completely excessive. You know, sometimes when I go to such places, I really feel for the local people there. Because there is not much progress in their lives,

there isn't much money in their lives. The biggest thing is that they live in a clean place. They live in a clean environment. And when in that place, where there is very beautiful nature, factories are set up, and there is dust and pollution... Then these people just get crushed in the middle. The profit of that factory is taken away by the owner there,

but the smoke coming out of that factory... falls upon them. Their normal life becomes abnormal in many ways. They used to cook and eat the vegetables they grew at home and are living in the midst of the nature there. Now they have to wash their own home-grown vegetables three times. And then the diseases that happen,

they also happen to these people. To say the least, nothing changed... but if you look, everything has changed. Name? Rahul. Rahul brother, how are you? Rahul is fine. Rahul is fine? What are you doing? I am building a house a bit, what to do? Oh, building a house? Did this break? Yes, it broke.

I see, then how are you attaching it from here? Yes, I'll attach it. I see. Do you see this hand, I just wiped a leaf here like this and my hand got dirty. So, it is because of the company, isn't it? Which company? This one. The one behind? So, we all fall sick because of it.

Sick... did anyone in your house fall sick too? Have fallen sick. Cough and fever like that. You get coughs and fever? Didn't you tell anyone that so much is happening here, even kids are breathing this... Have said it, but who listens even after saying? They don't agree at all, what can be done?

So how do you people live in so much pollution? What to do sir? I live, we are forced to live. Our village is right here, our birthplace is right here. One way or another we will have to eat, we will have to work hard. Which is the biggest factory here? Factories are numerous and huge, sir.

Over there is beer, there's liquor too, cement as well... What is this slight smell of? Yes, you've hit the main point. And if you go a little further down the river, the smell will be even stronger. Even more smell will come. It's of liquor. Oh? Yes. Can't even eat food. Since when has this pollution been happening here?

7 years, 8 years. Something like that. Was it fine before that? Before that it was fine, it was a bit alright. Now the new factories that have come, this pollution started from them. Which new factory? Reuters' report states that in this one small town, there are about 80 heavily polluting factories. So in this small space,

there is a lot of emission, a lot of pollution. And its topography is a bit bowl-shaped... because of which pollution is generated but it cannot escape anywhere, it gets trapped. What kind of factory is this? That is liquor factory 3. There are 3 liquor factories? And total? Total, there are different companies right,

total would be something like 20 or 30. Is the river clean or is it dirty too? The toxic waste of the company, they install pipes underneath and release it. In a year or a month, they release it. Even the fish die and other people also bathe right there. Over here. It was very clean earlier.

At this time, I can hear two sounds. I don't know how much my mic will be able to catch that... One is the sound of birds chirping. Which, if everything is quiet, would sound very beautiful, very serene, and very calming. And the second sound is this... like whenever an airplane passes near your house,

that buzzing sound comes for some time... the noise that happens for about 10-15 seconds.

That noise comes out constantly from this factory. 24/7. And that is where these people... this beautiful place lives in. This constant noise. This is not even a voice, this is not even a sound, this is noise. Brother, how used it to be here when this factory was not here? It was good. Now ever since the factory has been set up...

it has become very bad, cannot eat anything. Do you know anyone who has fallen sick? It has happened a lot here, people suffering from cancer... some cannot breathe, they die because of that, falling sick. Yes, they die? Yes. Recently my sister's husband also died, he also couldn't breathe, because of that. Here he is saying someone died here.

Yes, a death has happened. He died after getting cancer. Okay, okay, can we go to their house? To her house? We can go. Let's go. In this place, life-threatening diseases were being talked about in a very normal way. Someone got cancer... still, a person would speak about cancer with a little emphasis... Asthma, breathing difficulties, skin diseases...

People were speaking about all these so casually as if... they have gotten used to this thing now.

This is the house where a person has died due to pollution. It has been one year. One year? What happened to him? Cancer. In the throat. Got cancer? Where... where... Got cancer in the throat... in the throat... like this, in the throat. Got cancer? Yes, cancer. It got this big... and died. Oh? Because of this?

Yes, died because of this. Now when we make such documentaries, many people point fingers, so it is important to mention here that we are not directly correlating any individual's death to any factory. For that, medical records are needed, it has to be scientifically proven. That is why we talk with data. The government's own data states that in 2022,

around 2082 people had respiratory problems. In 2024, that same number increased to 3681. A 77% increase... in just two years. So when the local people here are saying that we have started having trouble breathing, we have started getting respiratory problems, cancer cases have started increasing in the vicinity... They are not making things up.

Now this is visible in the data too. Okay, I just talked to that sister as well, she told me her husband was... he had cancer. Is she your sister? She earlier... the first marriage that happened, he fell sick with cancer. Then he passed away now. Because of this, these factories etc., because of the pollution?

Probably it is like that. We had done rallies regarding this pollution earlier as well and we also asked the judges, but we couldn't get it stopped. So much pollution now, earlier when we were small there weren't so many companies right, back then it was so clear, all these trees and edible fruits, all of that was clear too.

Now it is not that clear. Even if we clean so much, it remains completely dusty. I clean all the boundaries, right... And when we burn the big trash in the fire, even then it gets so dirty... And pollution is very bad these days. Now remember when I said that Byrnihat is in Meghalaya

but it is the industrial town of Assam's Guwahati. So Byrnihat's pollution problem is an Assam-Meghalaya border problem. So last year, Meghalaya's CM Conrad Sangma wrote to Assam's CM Himanta Biswa Sarma that we will form a joint committee and take joint action on this. And some work was done too. Inspections happened, some fines were imposed,

some factories were shut down. But it happened then and remained just the news of that time. As of today, there is no public data that states that any committee has made any long-term action plan. Pollution in Byrnihat can cross borders. But accountability cannot. There are numerous such factories that are causing pollution in Byrnihat...

Meaning, right now there is only smoke and smoke in the entire area. Are you seeing that... how the smoke from your chimney is directly going up towards the sky. One is coming out from here, the factory in front is releasing one, the factory in front is releasing one... And one outcome of it is that this beautiful,

small village of Meghalaya named Byrnihat, in which not even a hundred thousand people live... It has become the country's most polluted, most contaminated place at this time. A dirty, foul smell, a stench is coming here which only I can smell, I cannot show it to you I mean... It's just something I can feel,

you have to take my word for it. We thought let's see how much pollution is here, let's take a drone shot once. But the dust particles in the air were so heavy, that even the drone's sensors mistook them for obstacles and started giving alerts. And you know what the funny part is? What is being made in this factory here?

This factory, which is polluting this village so much that this is the most polluted place in the country... Is making the pollution peak, ethanol is being made here. The same ethanol which, by blending 20% in petrol, they say that brother, we are reducing pollution. We are becoming eco-friendly. That ethanol... that ethanol is being made like this.

It is a satire, man, this country in itself... This is how you are making it, you are transitioning towards green energy like this, The people from the Petroleum Ministry who are watching, our ministers, like this... this is it. This is how you are moving towards green energy. Telling everyone that you are blending 20% ethanol in petrol,

selling petrol at the same rate, to the people... this is how you are making ethanol. They have come now... now my anger will come out here. Yes? You have been told not to take photos. No no I... I am not taking it inside your campus at all. Please turn it off. No I absolutely won't. I am a journalist.

Whatever you are. No, what do you mean whatever? If someone goes in front of your house to make a video... Whereas if I... if my house is on public property... whose road is this? Is this the owner's road? Then? Your house could also be near the road. Do you know ethanol is made here?

Are you from this village? Yes I am from this village. What does that mean? It absolutely means something. How can you stop us, we are making it here... Shoot from the side, no problem, you guys are taking photos, taking videos from here. No, but from the side also we will take it of this place only, right?

This is not allowed, brother. Who is not allowed? Wh... who is allowing? Whose permission am I waiting for? Is it allowed? You might not have it, I do. If someone does this in front of your house, will you let them? Absolutely... this is not a house. This is polluting the whole country. It's the same thing.

It's the same thing? Is it a house? Huh... Does smoke come out of my house which gives cancer to people here? Cooking food doesn't release smoke? Oh, cooking food and releasing this smoke is the same? You are being recorded on camera, bring it, give me my phone, let me show them. You guys do that only, what else will you do man?

Hey wait. So much fighting is happening in America and Iran man, you guys have made a joke out of it... What what what what are you saying? Again... hey again... America Iran, huh? The fighting happening in America and Iran is causing cancer to the people of Byrnihat here? Tell me? Giving the example of America and Iran,

is a joke going on here man uncle... what is your name? Everyone is just joking. Am I joking, huh? This is causing pollution... You do your job, I am not telling you anything... I am trying not to take out your owner's anger on you right now. They are going around telling the world that

we will reduce pollution with ethanol, if we blend 20% ethanol in petrol we will clean the environment with that... Is this how you are cleaning the environment? Tell people about how ethanol is being made too, that the place where you are making the ethanol that you blend in petrol, is becoming the country's most polluted village because of it...

People here are getting cancer because of it. Who will talk about that, man? While leaving Byrnihat, only one question was running in my mind. What does progress actually mean? Is progress what is seen in reports, what is seen in numbers? Or is progress what makes human life better? The GDP of a state, the progress of a place...

shouldn't come at the cost of destroying the lives of the local people of that place. I am thinking about myself, ours is still fine, how much must it be for the children? These little children, look at them, these people, these people in what dirty air...

These children after coming from school... you know, they play after coming from school, even in so much pollution they play.

[TRIBAL LANGUAGE] [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] What did he say? He is asking where are you from. Delhi. [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] Delhi. [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] Where is the school? [TRIBAL LANGUAGE] Dehal. Dehal? He is studying in the village, he is saying Dehal. Today, these little children who are constantly... every day, every moment breathing in this smoke.

Should there be such a bad environment over there? Alright, now someone will say shouldn't we set up factories? Fine, set up factories. Assam should develop, and through that Meghalaya should develop too. We have always focused on development in our country, but removed one word from it... sustainable development. Where is that sustainability? The locals there are not lying when they say that

they just release the smoke like that, they release more during the night, no one watches. They quietly install a pipeline in the river and release dirty water beneath. These small practices where the law is being broken... where advantages are being taken... Where perhaps by bribing the officials, all these rules are being broken...

Can those rules be followed? There is just one question. If you want to support our work, this project, here is the QR code, you can go and scan it and support this project with any amount. You will also find the link in the description. You can also support our channel by joining our channel membership

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