Gasp, puff, pant!

Colombo may be looking greener, but it is still a long way from being cleaner and meeting the livability criteria:

by Manjula Fernando

Returning from an overseas visit no sooner I stepped out of the flight at the Katunayake International Airport, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of a heavy chest. It wasn't that I disliked coming home but the Colombo's air felt unusually thick as I breathed in.

As a regular user of an inhaler for wheezing, I am familiar with such a feeling. But it was surprising that I did not have to touch my inhaler during the 30- day stay Down Under.

Has the bo become so polluted that we breathe toxic fumes every second? Was that the reason for my wheezing and not actually a medical condition? For the many who live and work in Colombo, there is ample reasons to be concerned.

The Colombo city is unhealthy in terms of its particulate pollution, states a website of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). According to the CEA, Ambient PM10 level in Colombo has dropped since 1998 to 2012. However, currently being around 65 µg/m3, exceeds the World Health Organisation's latest guideline of 50 µg/m3. This level is 150 in Beijing, a leading city in the pollution list.

Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous.

This complex mixture contains dust, pollen, soot, smoke and liquid droplets.

They are hazardous since these small particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter will deposit in the respiratory tract causing potential health issues.

Research

A research article published in the Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka in November 2012 titled 'Air Pollution and Public Health in Developing Countries : Is Sri Lanka Different', says "Many respiratory conditions are known to be associated with air pollution and acute respiratory tract infections have a definitive association with air pollution. "

A bird’s eye view of the city

The environment in Colombo doesn't seem to have transformed for the better for the past few years. Hence these pollutants could be the reason for wheezing and other respiratory diseases. The research reveals school children in the city are exposed to high levels of pollutants due to overcrowding in major schools in urban areas, especially in the Colombo metro area. If parents think their life is fulfilled because the kids are in the best school in Colombo, they better think twice.

It has been observed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as cough, phlem or wheezing, among school children attending a school in Colombo close to a busy main road to be significantly high than that of children attending a school in a peripheral area.

Colombo is cluttered with nearly 75 schools. Despite an ambitious target set in 2013 to be the best livable city in the world by 2016, Colombo seem to be moving exactly the opposite direction.

With beautiful tall structures being added to the City's skyline every month, the Colombo these days is a hive of activity. If you haven't been to Colombo, for a couple of years, the transformation of the country's largest city will surely make you dizzy. The impressive roadwork and magnificently tall structures are coming up rapidly.It blends well with the city's parks and old colonial architecture of the Dutch, Portugese and the British, elevating itself into a modern city.

These developments were targeted to achieve the goal of making Colombo the best 'livable city' in 2016. Years ago plans were being made to bid for the 'Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize' for the 'Best Livable City' award in 2016 by the Urban Development Authority.

But what lies below the surface? The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Liveability Survey released August last year ranked Colombo among the 15 worst cities to live in. Colombo was ranked 128 of 140 cities.The place has a static population of nearly 750,000. Half of these city dwellers still live in poverty.

According to Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) There are nearly14,000 slums and 103, 000 housing units within the CMC limits. With another estimated one million people visiting Colombo daily, over 700 metric tonnes of solid waste is collected a day and its disposal a major challenge to the CMC which has been grappling for decades.

Contamination.

It has contributed to severe ground water contamination. Although the State ensures water in the pipelines are safe for drinking, the city is grappling with a huge issue of ground water contamination.

The city's public transport system, is the biggest nightmare, which no government has been able to conquer.

NUMBEO, a user contributed global database of cities and countries worldwide, describes noise and light pollution and air pollution as one of the major concerns in Colombo while ground water pollution has been identified as a critical issue. They however has recorded visitor satisfaction with parks and greenery in Colombo.Unless the government steps in and find immediate solutions for underlying issues to make Colombo a cleaner and greener city, the dream of making it the best livable city will only be a dream forever.