‘Declare city a pollution control zone’

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

A woman wears a mask yesterday as heavy pollution continues to be a problem.

 

’Experts say govt already has tools to deal with Bangkok’s dangerous smog.
 

A woman wears a face mask as heavy air pollution continues to be a problem in Bangkok, Thailand, 21 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

 

AS AIR pollution in Bangkok worsens this week and there are few signs of official measures offering relief, many academics called on the government yesterday to declare the capital a pollution-control zone, so related agencies can enforce stricter legal measures to limit emissions and protect people’s health.

 

Sonthi Kotchawat, independent environmental health expert, emphasised that the government already has the legal tools to swiftly order powerful mitigation measures needed to fight the dangerous smog and protect the population. Article 9 of the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act could designate the capital a “pollution-control area” and allow actions that would reduce pollution.

 

Sonthi said in the case of a pollution emergency, in which people’s health and well-being is harmed, the prime minister can directly exercise this law. He could alternatively authorise the provincial governor of each locality to order stakeholders to reduce environmental impacts and control pollution, so as to swiftly mitigate the problem and ensure public safety.

 

According to the Pollution Control Department, 12 areas in Thailand have been designated as pollution-control zones. They include Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong, Pattaya City in Chon Buri, tambon Na Phra Lan in Saraburi and Phi Phi Islands in Krabi.

 

 

Sonthi also added that authorities could apply the Public Health Act to urgently tackle the health threats from PM2.5 particulates. That law allows local authorities in an area suffering from pollution or other threats to public health to declare a control zone in order to facilitate mitigation and prevention measures.

 

Thammarat Phutthai, a lecturer at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, noted that the efforts by authorities to hose down roads and spray water in the air have been unable to solve the pollution problem.

 

He suggested that authorities instead prioritise enforcing strict measures to limit the use of diesel engine vehicles, and issuing preventive measures such as school closures and the suspension of outdoor events to protect people’s health. That can be achieved by declaring Bangkok a pollution-control zone.

 

Polluted all year round

 

Witsanu Attavanich, a Kasetsart University economics lecturer, insisted that authorities take Bangkok’s air pollution problem seriously, as his observations on the PM10 and PM2.5 levels in the capital over the past 10 years shows that pollution from fine dust particles in the air is not a seasonal problem. He said the capital faces bad-air quality all year round.

 

“My study of the historic records of air pollution levels from 2009 until 2018 confirmed that the level of PM2.5 in Bangkok spikes to a very harmful level every December, January and February,” Witsanu said. “But it also found that the PM2.5 level in the city, especially in the areas along the streetside, always stays above the World Health Organisation [WHO]’s safe limit all year, which can cause negative impacts to people health.”

 

Smog lingers over the Chaopraya river as heavy air pollution continues to be a problem in Bangkok, Thailand, 21 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

 

Witsanu noted that even though the level of PM2.5 in the rest of the year mainly remained within Thailand’s safe standards, and was thus considered by authorities to be harmless, he insisted that in order to ensure the public’s well-being, the WHO’s safety guidelines should be applied.

 

“The study concludes that no matter what time of the year it is, people in Bangkok are not safe from air pollution,” he said.

 

“Unless the authorities come up with effective measures to mitigate pollution at its sources, people who must be outdoors for a long period of time will still have to wear a facemask to protect themselves from air pollution.” 

 

The prime minister, however, has a different take on the situation. General Prayut Chan-o-cha said that because both human and natural factors contribute to the smog crisis in Bangkok, people should not blame the government for it. They should instead solve the situation by adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle and learning to live by nature, he said.

 

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said yesterday that his ministry did not favour a policy to attempt to lower traffic volumes in the capital and tackle the smog problem by designating certain days for vehicle use based on the licence plate numbers, as has been successful in other countries. 

 

Such policies would cause a major inconvenience and affect too many people, he said. 

 

However, Arkhom said, the ministry is ready to consider such a policy if a majority of the public agreed to it.

 

The smog in Bangkok is not that serious, the authorities said as they decided not to declare the capital a pollution-control zone and continue taking mild measures to fight the increasingly worsening air pollution.

 

After related agencies attended a meeting yesterday, Pollution Control Department director-general Pralong Damrongthai said the agencies had decided that the smog was still not critical enough to declare the capital a pollution-control area. Also, he said, doing so might affect tourism and the business sector. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362694

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-22

1 hour ago, webfact said:

as his observations on the PM10 and PM2.5 levels in the capital over the past 10 years shows that pollution from fine dust particles in the air is not a seasonal problem. He said the capital faces bad-air quality all year round.

nah; it is a 'thailand problem'; 'no problem'

just move the  capital to an area with no smog, thai style problem solved

11 minutes ago, kannot said:

just move the  capital to an area with no smog, thai style problem solved

If you could find one. Even Phuket is in the yellow zone today. The whole country is covered in 'fine dust'.

 Prayut is God , looking down on his flock, in this lawless society. How do you change the mindset of a culture that feels laws and standards do not apply to them? deflection ??, blame ?? ,denial,?? I think its too late for that!!..but wait...''FREE MASKS FOR EVERYBODY''....!

Edited January 21, 20197 yr by mok199

Wow, how and why is the source of all this pollution ignored? 

Pollution control zone and the audacity to mention Maptaphut. Too funny. More like out of control pollution zone. Used to get severe headaches every time. 

183 a few hours ago. At least it's making headlines, local and international...

In addition to masks, people need to be wearing goggles to prevent eye irritations/infections.

This post

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1079897-%E2%80%98declare-bangkok-a-pollution-control-zone%E2%80%99/?do=findComment&comment=13761442

has it right... Until field burns are curbed, Bangkok can claim itself a pollution free zone, all they want.

 

2 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Wow, how and why is the source of all this pollution ignored? 

And a broader perspective......

Try sweeping the streets, maybe once a year, you lazy - and probably very fat - controllers governors, living in your air-conditioned palaces . . . probably a hundred km or more outside what is nothing more complicated or scientific than wind-blown and airborne street filth.

2 hours ago, mok199 said:

 Prayut is God , looking down on his flock, in this lawless society. How do you change the mindset of a culture that feels laws and standards do not apply to them? deflection ??, blame ?? ,denial,?? I think its too late for that!!..but wait...''FREE MASKS FOR EVERYBODY''....!

But wait!! Did not the Messiah Phrah Prawit pray and stop the big storm 2 weeks ago!! Cannot he pray again and get a big wind to blow the smog away???????????????????????????

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Also, he said, doing so might affect tourism and the business sector. 

The real disaster will emerge when the tourist numbers begin to drop due to the smog. But i guess Thailand could still attract Chinese coal miners, heading for a health retreat holiday.

    Another day, more talk, talk, talk.  No action, especially from the PM, who has, shockingly, taken the government out of the equation and expects the problem to be solved by the people changing their lifestyles and returning to nature, or some such gibberish.  Good luck with that.

Well, as it works with any other problem I was wondering, why nobody calls for Article 44? 

Prospective tourists from Europe and the Americas are already aware of the disasterous pollution in Thailand. Photographs and news in the newspapers and tv everywhere. Who will want to go on holidays to a country where you can’t breathe ? The Chinese and Indians maybe , who are used to this pollution ? I’m usually one of those people who take things like this with a pinch of salt, but now I’m beginning to think that I’d better find somewhere else to spend my time.

A flame has been removed

Why do people only care about bkk? I woke up to this reading this morning spiked at 257 by 8am which is relatively normal here. Local officials told us they would never do anything to fix anything because its what thais do. Um, racist much? All my neighbours are clinically dumb. Pollution causes it. My closest neighbour just lit there charcoal pot to make charcoal to sell which is actually illegal but jo one would dare say boo about it. They burn the forest to get easy access to trees to cut down then burn them for 5days in a clay pot for which the clay is also taken from the forest to make the charcoal which is made at the wrong temperatures making it all the more toxic to humans. All resterants like sukishi import charcoal. The pm2.5 will now be over 500 for the next 5days... If we complain we are in trouble. This is the problem with a population dum from pollution. You cant explain anything scientific to them.

Oh and people its NOT DUST its particulate matter which is fine particles of different matter thats formed with combustion small enough to get in to your blood stream. To test the chemicals its a different device. Everyone now thinks dust is the problem becuae of stupid people..

Quote

After related agencies attended a meeting yesterday, Pollution Control Department director-general Pralong Damrongthai said the agencies had decided that the smog was still not critical enough to declare the capital a pollution-control area. Also, he said, doing so might affect tourism and the business sector. 

 

 

 

 

So the population can get slowly poisoned in particular old people and children ( care segments Thailand prides itself) because it might affect tourism and the business sector.

 

Memo to Pollution Control Department

Putting aside the disregard for citizens health.

 

The business sector depends on tourism.  Tourists don’t visit unhealthy locations.  Those that do and are negatively impacted spread the word to avoid.  Therefore you decision toward in action brings about the the exact outcome you want to avoid.

 

The issue is the answers aren’t easy and are painful.  The good news is there are answers all which take time.

 

 

 

 

Quote

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said yesterday that his ministry did not favour a policy to attempt to lower traffic volumes in the capital and tackle the smog problem by designating certain days for vehicle use based on the licence plate numbers, as has been successful in other countries. 

This would drive folks to getting two sets of plates....one for even numbered days and one for odd number days.  The underground License Plate Making business would boom!  

 

And it's not hard to see a vehicle on Bangkok roads without any license plates.  Or have vehicles with no registration sticker...or the person driving it having no drivers license....or having no/expired insurance.  But they will always have a lottery ticket. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Also, he said, doing so might affect tourism and the business sector. 

 

I know someone who should be taped to a tailpipe so they can suck it all day.

Check the fire maps. Sub Saharan Africa, Thailand and especially Cambodia now on fire.

Sure you can get rid of the old buses and stuff like that but …...

Here in Chiang Mai it's already dirty and the serious burning hasn't even begun.

200 plus readings are normal here for more than 2 months a year already.

Stop your crying, Bangkok, you filthy dump.

38 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

This is the problem with a population dum from pollution

Probably Fluoride as well.

Of course, Thailand already has the laws to deal with the problem. Thailands problems have nothing to do with a lack of laws on the books, the problems of Thailand are routed in the lack of enforcement of laws and regulations.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Witsanu noted that even though the level of PM2.5 in the rest of the year mainly remained within Thailand’s safe standards, and was thus considered by authorities to be harmless, he insisted that in order to ensure the public’s well-being, the WHO’s safety guidelines should be applied.

What Thailand says is safe and what the rest of the world thinks is safe are as we know two entirely different things.

Thailands junta doesn't give a thought to the people, if it declares a problem it will look as though they have lost some sort of control... and we all know that that will never happen.

 

I watched on the TV news this morning a water spraying machine being used to spray water into the air, camera men were running around doing photo shoots with the "important" people lining up to get their smug faces into the shot.
Little do they know that this attempt at doing something looked utterly pathetic.

100 metres away nothing had changed, just a pool of water lay on the floor & people walking in opposite directions to stay out of the way. When evaporated the particles would go back up into the air with the water vapour.

I haven't heard from the sacred cows for a while.. maybe they died from air pollution ?

5 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

If you could find one. Even Phuket is in the yellow zone today. The whole country is covered in 'fine dust'.

Beautiful breezy day up here outside Udon Thani, PM 2.5 ~10, was 16c at 07:00, now 27c humidity 43%, perfect - don't tell anyone! ????

46 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I watched on the TV news this morning a water spraying machine being used to spray water into the air, camera men were running around doing photo shoots with the "important" people lining up to get their smug faces into the shot.
Little do they know that this attempt at doing something looked utterly pathetic.

100 metres away nothing had changed, just a pool of water lay on the floor & people walking in opposite directions to stay out of the way. When evaporated the particles would go back up into the air with the water vapour.

But for those few minutes (or seconds) the air in that immediate area got cleaner some govt bureaucrat will get another ribbon for his white dress uniform.  A ribbon for the Battle of Bangkok Pollution.  Plus he knows a stuffed envelope from the water cannon seller is probably heading his way.

Que in TAT, Pollution Holidays, come and experience the worst smog on the planet, available from now until eternity! Chinese half price!