The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued a warning regarding the deteriorating air quality in several parts of Sri Lanka, raising concerns about potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure.
According to the NBRO, with the exception of Nuwara Eliya, air quality in all other districts has reached unhealthy levels, with Colombo, Kandy, and Jaffna experiencing particularly high levels of pollution. The organization highlighted that based on the US Air Quality Index (AQI), several areas including Colombo, Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Badulla, Kurunegala, Kandy, and Matale are likely to cause adverse health effects due to poor air quality.
The NBRO attributed this alarming decline in air quality to multiple factors, including an influx of dust particles carried by strong winds from neighboring countries and extreme dry weather conditions prevailing in the region.
In response to the situation, the NBRO has urged individuals vulnerable to respiratory or cardiac diseases, as well as elderly persons and children, to take precautionary measures such as wearing face masks when outdoors. These measures aim to mitigate the potential health risks associated with exposure to polluted air.
