CHIANG MAI, March 28 (TNA) – Chiang Mai governor ordered intensified measures to help local residents affected by the hazardous levels of the PM2.5 as the city was ranked the world’s second most polluted city by IQAir as of noon today.
The provincial governor, Nirat Pongsitthithavorn ordered immediate assistance without the declaration of disaster zones.
Local authorities were assigned to provide additional N95 masks for local residents and district offices were given authority to consider school closure in the critical zones. All hospitals were ordered to take care of vulnerable groups.
The high concentration of PM2.5 was the impact of transboundary haze pollution, accumulated for about a month with reports of almost 200,000 hotspots, he said.
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) yesterday reported 5,396 hotspots in Thailand, 6,877 in Myanmar, 4,076 in Laos and 739 in Cambodia.
According to the air4thai website of the Pollution Control Department, as of 11 am today, the highest level of PM2.5 was recorded in Chiang Rai at 517 µg/m³, followed by 289 µg/m³ in Chiang Mai and 233 µg/m³ in Mae Hong Son. (TNA)
