Traffic chaos in Kandy: Urgent government intervention needed

Air pollution in Kandy has reached unprecedentedly higher levels and health authorities have voiced their concern on several occasions about the issue of increasing respiratory diseases. Kandy does not have major industries or power plants and the sole contributor to air pollution is the large number of motor vehicles. The increase in air pollution in Kandy can be attributed to increasing traffic congestion and traffic jams. Combustion of petrol and diesel in motor vehicles produces carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particles. When vehicles move in traffic jams, the familiar sight of black smoke coming from these vehicles is clearly visible to our naked eye. However, the most dangerous air pollutants are the fine particles which we cannot see with our naked eye and technically known as the PM 2.5 fraction composed of particles with diameters less than 2.5 micrometres (1 micrometer is one millionths of a metre). These are respirable going right into our lungs and then to the bloodstream. Such particles have severe impacts on the lungs and the heart. Exposure can result in coughing or difficulty in breathing, aggravated asthma, development of other chronic respiratory diseases, chronic heart diseases and stroke. In addition, these fine particles which are made up of carbon adsorb various unburnt hydrocarbons in petrol and diesel and some compounds such as the polyaromatic hydrocarbons are well known carcinogens. The PM2.5 level is often considered as the single most important parameter to determine air quality of a city and the level recorded for Kandy on 12-11-2025 was 50 microgrammes per cubic metre which is five times higher than the WHO standard of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre for healthy air. This parameter is typically used in the calculation of the air quality index (AQI) of a locality. It is possible to get the current AQI levels of major Sri Lankan cities from the internet web sites.

- BY PROF. O. A. ILEPERUMA

There are many reasons for the dismal state of the air quality in Kandy. Around 100,000 vehicles enter the city daily. Due to limited roads there are severe traffic jams which produce more fine particles compared to vehicles moving at a steady speed. In addition, reopening Dalada Veediya should receive the immediate attention of authorities which will decrease the traffic congestion around the Kandy lake. This road has been closed on flimsy excuses and our politicians who are, too, concerned with the potential opposition from the Mahanayakas have never tackled this issue. Already, the Mahanayaka of the Malwatte chapter has given his consent to reopening this road. Government should talk to those who oppose reopening this road and convince them about the inconvenience caused to the general public and the need to reduce air pollution.

Traffic congestion is made worse by motorists, particularly the drivers of private buses and three wheelers who are least concerned about traffic rules and openly violate them in full view of the traffic police. The police, who take prompt action against ordinary motorists, turn a blind eye to three wheelers who openly cross even the double lines to overtake other vehicles.