BANGKOK, March 15 (TNA) – Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha expressed his concern over the continuing haze crisis in northern provinces and ordered all parties to help curb the ultra-fine dust.
Assistant government spokesman Colonel Taksada Sangkachan said the prime minister was worried about the increasing level of air pollutants, which have impacts on health of people.
He instructed all sectors to increase the moisture in the air such as spraying water from high-rise buildings to reduce the dust particles.
The haze situation remains critical in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district for 6 consecutive days when the average PM2.5 levels in a 24-hour period was recorded at 203 µg/m³, triple the country’s guideline level. 561 hotspots were detected in the upper part of Thai North.
The air pollution remains critical in 17 areas of nine northern provinces. The average PM2.5 level in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district in a 24-hour period was recorded at 203 microgrammes per cubic meter (µg/m³). The hardest-hit Mae Sai district stayed on the top in the reading for the sixth consecutive day. Local authorities sprayed water from fire trucks into the air twice a day and cooperated with the neighbouring country to solve the problem, originated from the fires along the border.
Meanwhile, 561 hotspots were detected in the upper part of the northern region with the most hotspots or 137 found in Chiang Mai.
Local residents in Chiang Mai’s Chiang Mai provincial seat have suffered from eye and nose irritation. The PM 2.5 were measured at the unhealthy levels around 85-148 µg/m³, exceeding the safe standard level at 50 µg/m³. (TNA)
