Haze pollution and burning bans addressed in Chiang Rai

[webfact]

Haze pollution and burning bans addressed in Chiang Rai

By Natthawat Laping 
The Nation

 

Chiang Rai province hopes to implement an outdoor burning ban from February 17 to April 17 and to organise talks with neighbouring Laos and Myanmar to address the problem of cross-border haze pollution caused by the illegal burning of forests and fields.

 

During the period, besides the strict law enforcement, the authorities want to allocate a budget to have residents in villages at risk of forest fires – in Mae Fa Luang, Mae Suay, Wiang Pa Pao, Phaya Meng Rai and Thoeng districts – help as firebreak-construction volunteers.

 

The plan was announced by the chairman of the National Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, General Nipat Thonglek, during a seminar on Tuesday.

 

The standing committee and related agencies in the northern province held the seminar at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna’s campus in Phan district.

 

Nipat praised the work of all parties in tackling haze, which had led to a dramatic drop in the number of hotspots in Chiang Rai from 900 during the 60-day outdoor burning ban in 2016 to only 20 in the same period in 2017.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30337052

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-24

[Berkshire]

Outstanding.  This needs to be expanded to the whole of northern Thailand.  I especially concur with the effort to discuss with neighboring countries...although I fear not much will happen with that. 

[my friend I]

They did this last year but it's like wearing helmets. The law is not enforced at night.

[sceadugenga]

I took these Sunday, I thought the air clarity was not too bad for the end of January.

I've seen it a lot worse.

 

 

[Rotweiler]

We have also noticed that the amount of smoke in the air is much less this year than the past 5 or 6.  There is no field burning going on right now - hopefully a harbinger of the "dirty months" - March-April.

[ripstanley]

They actually tried this in 2016 and it was ignored. Last year the Government made the same announcement. Last year the local village head made the announcement over their PA systems and it was obeyed. In my village in Phayao Province there was only one small fire. Cooking of food was exempt. Last year the smog haze around Phayao was very little due the local villages taking control because they had been directed to.

I hope this happens again this year. 

 

[boomerangutang]

Burning allowed until Feb 17th?   I have 16 forested rai, so it's convenient to do some burning, at times.  Plus, I use the faggots from burn piles to cook squash and potatoes.  I wrap them in aluminum foil.  If no foil on hand, I use banana leaf.

 

I was told in November by a Muslim farmer neighbor that burning (other than small fires) is outlawed from the first day of the new year.  I haven't spoken to him since, but I assumed (correctly, it seems), with the unseasonable rains in December, that the fire season was extended.

 

I don't have a Thai wife to interpret village announcements, so it helps to have posts like the OP - to give a 'heads up' to head-in-the-clouds people like me.

 

 

 

 

[sup3r1or]

Now can anyone confirm if this ban only applies to Chiang Rai or North Thailand in general? There isn't much point implementing this in Chiang Rai if other provinces will burn the hell out of the fields and forests. 

I stay in Phayao and we are surrounded by forests, farmlands and other stuff. 

[geriatrickid]

Thailand could stop this nonsense with the investment in a couple of water bombers. All it takes is a few damages and the associated damage, and people will get the message.

[sup3r1or]

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Thailand could stop this nonsense with the investment in a couple of water bombers. All it takes is a few damages and the associated damage, and people will get the message.

Nah they just will continue burning. It would be more efficient if they start actually enforcing this ban, utilize police and army. Massive fines and jail time on telly will spread the message clearly. Also government could do more to bring CP and Betagro to actually do something about it as they are a big reason it is so bad. That along with educating ppl on the dangers of this smoke. 

[sceadugenga]

I took this on this day in 2013, quite a difference,




Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[siriweith]

in area of stadium atletics last week the burning come down from the sky and i fell very bad yes the sky is blue but they burning in elefhant camp area.i am lucky i go away from chiang rai i cannot anymore believe to them what they talk what they say i no trust anymore