BANGKOK, Dec 17 (TNA) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered concerned organizations to solve air pollution from particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and less in diameter (PM2.5).
After the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Gen Prayut said he made the order because farmers might plan to burn their fields to prepare for their next crops. The government wanted to use the farm waste and one of its relevant projects was the construction of biomass power plants.
The government would be looking for hotspots and would also ask neighboring countries to help prevent field burning, he said.
Besides, the government was campaigning for motorists to sometimes turn to public transport as electric railways were being extended. Meanwhile, government organizations were instructed not to keep the engines of their vehicles idling, the prime minister said.
Regarding drought, Gen Prayut said off-season rice could be grown in 30% of farmland that was in irrigated areas during the dry season. People in the rest farmland would have to make other livings. The government needed to save water for consumption and everyone would have to minimize their water use, he said.
The prime minister added he ordered the drilling of artesian wells for consumption in drought-affected areas. (TNA)
