‘Our air quality monitoring stations old, dilapidated’
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
The air quality monitoring stations used by Central Environment
Authority (CEA) are decades old and are in a dilapidated condition. The
two Air Monitoring Stations, the air pollution meter based in Colombo
Fort to monitor local air quality and the pollution meter based in
Anuradhapura for monitoring trans-boundary air quality are in poor
condition, Environment and Natural Resources Ministry sources told the
Daily News.
However, The CEA officers have been maintaining the pollution meters
with much effort, the Daily News reliably learns.
Meanwhile, Director General of CEA Pasan Gunasena when contacted by
the Daily News admitted that CEA’s air quality monitoring instruments
were in a poor condition.
However, he said , they await Air Quality Monitoring Stations from
India to be installed in Sri Lanka.
Gunasena said, the CEA had signed an agreement with the Indian
Government regarding Air Quality Monitoring Stations about a year ago,
however, the Authority has not received the instruments so far.”
“We were to receive three to four air quality monitoring instruments
from the Indian Government. They were supposed to come as gifts to Sri
Lanka,” he added. “These are very expensive instruments,” he said. Asked
to reveal their prices, the director general said , the figures were not
available with him.
Asked about the air quality in Sri Lanka, Gunasena said there are no
serious damage to local air quality except from dust and diesel fume.
“This is a problem in the entire Asian region. Apart from that there
are no serious damage to us from long-range trans-boundary air
pollutants to our country,” he said.
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