http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20170101CT20170331.php?id=17229
Kandy more polluted than Colombo
BY NIRANJALA ARIYAWANSHA
'Wear oxygen masks in Kandy' warns award winning Chemistry Professor O. A. Ileperuma of the Peradeniya University, citing air pollution here as being the highest in the country.
Since about 100,000 vehicles enter the city of Kandy daily, pollution from fumes in addition to pollution from several other sources of air pollution, he said, posed the danger of people contracting respiratory diseases.
Professor Ileperuma told Ceylon Today, "
This is a very dangerous situation. Air pollution in the Kandy city is 4-5 times worse that in Colombo. The best solution at the moment is to re-open the Kandy-Mahiyangana A26 road which bypasses the Kandy Dalada Maligawa."
"We are not exposing this merely as results of scientific studies. In 2002 February, this road was opened for a period of three months. During those three months, the average air pollution in the Kandy city showed a marked decline," he added.
According to him, due to the closure of the A26 road, there is extensive traffic congestion around the Kandy Lake and air pollution has adversely affected the health of students attending schools located close to the lake.
Due to breathing polluted air, students who have developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which usually affects heavy smokers, are often seen seeking treatment at the Kandy General Hospital.
He added that not a single State institution has ever come forward to deal with this public health danger.
"The Kandy City is surrounded by two huge mountain ranges, namely Hunnasgiriya and Hantana. In addition, there are smaller mountain ranges such as Primrose, close to the city as well. Therefore, there is no escape space in the Kandy City for the Carbon Monoxide gas concentration from vehicle emissions. These emissions circulate in the city itself. That is why this high level of air pollution is experienced in the city," the Professor noted.
He said that even though there are no permanent solutions to this problem, several ad hoc solutions were not impossible.