Air pollution threatens the health of 442 thousand people across 7 districts in Polonnaruwa. The average PM2.5 level is 15.5 Āµg/mĀ³ā3.1Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Polonnaruwa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 442 thousand across 7 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 15.5Āµg/mĀ³. That's 3.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 257 cigarettes in a year.
If Polonnaruwa met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 1.02 years longer.
That's 450K years of life stolen from 442 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 7 most polluted districts in Polonnaruwa. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 Āµg/mĀ³āonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Polonnaruwa, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thamankaduwa | 94K | 16.0 | 1.1 years |
| Dimbulagala | 88K | 15.4 | 1.0 years |
| Medirigiriya | 74K | 15.2 | 1.0 years |
| Hingurakgoda | 70K | 15.5 | 1.0 years |
| Elahera | 48K | 15.4 | 1.0 years |
| Welikanda | 35K | 14.0 | 0.9 years |
| Lankapura | 33K | 16.2 | 1.1 years |
Showing 7 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.