Haze drops air quality, northern and central Maldives affected

Haze has deteriorated the air quality of both northern and central parts of the Maldives.

The Maldives Meteorology (MET Office) said that due to the haze, horizontal visibility has been reduced to 3 kilometers in northern regions. The authority added that central atolls are expected to experience similar conditions in the coming days.

While Maldives is experiencing haze, the Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy’s environmental analyst Mohamed Zayan Abdulla, speaking on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ program, said the drop in air quality continues to intensify year after year.

Zayan said this is primarily attributed to the emission of toxic gases from factories.

“The primary reason for this is the toxic gas emissions from factories. These toxic gases get mixed with the gases in the atmosphere which causes this drop in air quality,” he commented.

He further highlighted that Maldives is affected by haze due to the wind direction. He addressed the various negative health implications of this, which include pulmonary issues.

Zayan recommended reducing time spent outside, and usage of face masks. He cautioned individuals with breathing difficulties to avoid going out amid the conditions.

The analyst further highlighted that air quality drop was observed to a record amount last year, and cautioned the public about this as the issue continues to intensify.