A thick grey haze hung over several parts of the island last week. Iconic buildings in Colombo’s skyline were partly blanketed in smog.
Air Quality Index (AQI) levels exceeded 150 (Unhealthy) in several areas in the beginning of this week. However, by January 31, these values dropped to below 50 (Good) in many parts of the country.
Director Environmental Unit of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) Sarath Premasiri, said that many South Asian countries are experiencing the smog and it is not just localised to Sri Lanka.
“These days, the wind direction over Sri Lanka is North-Easterly, so the pollutants from that direction are carried over resulting in a drop in air quality across the country. During this time, there are a lot of pollutants released into the atmosphere by our neighbours and it all depends on the wind’s direction; it can be the result of factory emissions or burning agricultural fields,” he said.
According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), throughout January, agricultural crop residue and waste burning and local emissions from fuel and transport combined with the wintry stable atmospheric conditions often create these prolonged air pollution episodes with the haze transported hundreds of kilometres across borders, causing significant disruption.
CAMS also said that South Asia, particularly Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan, has been experiencing persistently poor air quality across the Himalayan foothills, affecting major urban centres such as New Delhi, Kathmandu and Islamabad throughout January 2025. Temperatures also plunged in several regions in Sri Lanka. “Brown clouds like this can block the sunlight and cool atmospheric temperature, but it could be another phenomenon,” Premasiri said.
The President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) Dr. Surantha Perera, outlined the health risks associated with smog. “Besides their direct toxic effects gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, methane, and micro and macro particles can change the oxygen levels that we breathe,” he said adding that doctors have seen an increase in respiratory issues, especially in children. “More and more children are affected by breathing micro and macro particles. When they have a respiratory infection, they cough for a longer period and infections damage their developing lungs and airways. They can react by going into spasms. If airways are further narrowed it will lead to chronic cough and asthma”.
Children are vulnerable because their breathing rate is faster and their oxygen consumption according to their body proportions is higher. The other vulnerable groups are pregnant women and the elderly, he said adding that the Governments in South Asia should take measures to address atmospheric pollution at regional level.
Lawyer and Environmentalist Nuwan Bopage blamed unchecked affects of capitalism for the pollution. “When the Jair Bolsonaro regime in Brazil was trying to burn the Amazon to grow commercial crops, we held a protest in front of the Brazilian embassy but some called us crazy to protest when there were so many problems in Sri Lanka,” he wrote on social media.
Now, in Sri Lanka, we have come to a point where we have to put up white flags in our homes due to the effects of India’s high consumption economy, even though we do not emit even 0.00001 percent of those gases, he said.
Bopage told the Sunday Observer, that this was a global issue and that dialogue has been initiated with activists in India as tackling pollution needs a collective regional response.
Doctors have advised the public to take the following precautions to limit exposure to the haze:
Avoid spending extended periods outdoors, especially during peak pollution hours; Use N95 masks or similar protective gear to reduce inhalation of harmful particles. Surgical masks are really not suitable to prevent pollutant particles from going into the airways. Keep windows closed to prevent polluted air from entering indoor spaces.
If available, use air purifiers to improve indoor air quality. Drinking plenty of water helps flush out toxins from the body; – Monitor AQI Levels online through official sources and take precautions. Health experts advise those with asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory issues to be particularly cautious and seek medical attention if they experience any breathing difficulties.