Khon Kaen fights against heavy haze

[webfact]

Khon Kaen fights against heavy haze

By THE NATION

 

A crane is used to spray water in front of Khon Kaen’s Provincial Hall yesterday after air pollution in the province exceeded safety limits for four days running.

 

Province’s air quality, fine dust levels stand well beyond Thailand’s safety limits
 

Thick smog has become a visible threat in Khon Kaen as it struggles with the country’s worst air pollution this week. 

 

 

The haze was clearly visible in this Northeast province as the level of PM2.5 and PM10 particles hit 102 micrograms and 166mcg per cubic metre of air respectively yesterday, well beyond the safety limit of 50mcg for PM2.5 and 100mcg for PM10.

 

 The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) level in the province, meanwhile, stood at 212, well above Thailand’s safety limit of 100, according to the Pollution Control Department (PCD)’s daily report. 

 

“I think I will need to wear a mask from now on,” a resident of Khon Kaen’s Muang district lamented yesterday. 

 

Fine particulate matter, which is 2.5 microns or less in diameter, poses a serious threat to health and has been described as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation. 

 

The authorities tried to ease the situation yesterday by spraying water in key areas of Khon Kaen, such as the provincial government complex.

 

 

“Many people come to the complex every day and there are several schools nearby,” Deputy Khon Kaen Governor Suthep Maneechot said. 

 

He added that relevant authorities were also seeking cooperation from high-rise building owners to spray water from high floors in a bid to lower the amount of dust. 

 

“We are also trying to curb exhaust fumes and outdoor fires, both of which are main sources of fine dust particles,” Suthep added. 

 

Khon Kaen Governor Somsak Changtragul yesterday also met representatives of sugar factories, sugarcane farmers and the Regional Environment Office 10 to find a way of preventing the burning of sugarcane fields. 

 

 

Sugarcane farmers often set fire to their fields to clear weeds and make way for easier harvesting. However, such fires have become great contributors to the ongoing smog crisis. 

 

At the meeting, Somsak urged factories to avoid purchasing sugarcane with burn marks and also called on them to help spray water to bring down the dust particles. 

 

With air pollution hitting critical point in many parts of Thailand, the government has also called on neighbouring Myanmar to also curb outdoor fires. The request, made via the latest Thailand-Myanmar Township Border Committee, won a positive response.

 

Answers sought

 

Meanwhile, the Central Administrative Court interviewed representatives of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Bangkok Governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang and the National Environment Board for two hours yesterday in relation to allegations that they were negligent in addressing the smog crisis. 

 

The grilling was in response to a complaint lodged by Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) and several Bangkok residents. 

 

“We hope the court will order concrete measures such as planting more trees and banning the felling of trees along roads,” SGWA president Srisuwan Janya said, adding that he expected the court to issue a verdict in the next few days. 

 

Separately, the PCD said yesterday that PM2.5 levels in Bangkok and five nearby provinces were within the safety limit, and though the fine dust particles are expected to increase slightly today, it will still be “safe”.

 

Elsewhere, the smog crisis was not as serious as in Khon Kaen. 

 

Loei province reported an AQI level of 11, with 55 micrograms of PM2.5 and 81 micrograms of PM10. The Northeast only has three air quality-monitoring stations in Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Loei, while PM2.5 measuring devices are only available in Loei and Khon Kaen.

 

Chiang Mai province in the North – which is usually enveloped in haze during this time of year – reported safe levels of air pollution. 

 

PM2.5 levels in the North stood between 14 and 88 micrograms, with beyond safety levels cited in Lampang (tambon Phra Baht of Muang district and tambons Sop Pad, Ban Dong and Mae Moh of Mae Mo district) and Phrae (Muang district’s tambon Na Chak). 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363737

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-08

[Chang_paarp]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Sugarcane farmers often set fire to their fields to clear weeds and make way for easier harvesting. However, such fires have become great contributors to the ongoing smog crisis. 

 

 

In places that have a successful sugar industry the banning of burning and use of the extra mulch has reduced the use of fertilisers and herbicides for the next crop.

[jlwilliamsjr18]

SOS... nothing will happen. 

[colinneil]

I live 44 ks south of Khonkaen, above us at the moment clear sky, look to the north and the sky is just a dingy grey colour.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, colinneil said:

I live 44 ks south of Khonkaen, above us at the moment clear sky, look to the north and the sky is just a dingy grey colour.

I'm in Udon, 100km further north from Khon Kaen.

Yesterday morning in the town centre when dropping our son off at school, I mentioned to my wife about the haze in the sky.

Edited February 8, 2019 by bluesofa

[fullcave]

No worries, as they continue to "monitor" the burning I'm sure conditions will improve shortly.

[MrT]

Shekou Shenzhen China Water Spraying solution and BTW it's an electric powered truck 

[Chongalulu]

Clueless,directionless...and couldn’t care less.

[jaiyen]

Now every local authority believes spraying valuable water into the air will solve the problem ! We would love to know which idiot came up with that dumb idea. Must be someone high up or everybody would have just laughed at him. 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, jaiyen said:

Now every local authority believes spraying valuable water into the air will solve the problem ! We would love to know which idiot came up with that dumb idea. Must be someone high up or everybody would have just laughed at him. 

Someone high up - probably on cloud nine.

[Tongjaw]

Driving down to Bangkok yesterday. This was not far South of Khon Kaen on the Mittraphap road. Both sides of the road where on fire. 

Edited February 8, 2019 by Tongjaw

[theoldgit]

13 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

We would love to know which idiot came up with that dumb idea. Must be someone high up or everybody would have just laughed at him. 

Probably the same person that used boat propellers in the Chao Phraya River years ago to force the flood waters away King Canute style.

[johnarth]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'm in Udon, 100km further north from Khon Kaen.

Yesterday morning in the town centre when dropping our son off at school, I mentioned to my wife about the haze in the sky.

did that help?

[Ossy]

You're all missing the obvious. Didn't Prayuth come this way yesterday, en route to Mukdahan? He just opened his oversize gob, breathed in, climbed into his private jet and let all the filth out over Khon Kaen.

 

Well, they can't have it good all the time. Last time, they got it in the Sports Stadium when he was honing his remote cabinet skills . . . even more polluting, maybe.

 

 

 

[fruitman]

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by fruitman

[bluesofa]

34 minutes ago, johnarth said:

did that help? 

Immensely, thanks.

[shaurene]

What do we have authorities for! They ASK THE SUGAR CANE FARMERS NOT TO BURN'. THEY ASK THE SUGAR FACTORIES NOT TO BUY BURN MARKED CANE.

THEY ARE AUTHORITIES, BLOODY WELL TELL THEM BY LAW.

ORDER THE POLICE TO ENFORCE IT, FOR BUDDA SAKE. They take enough wages and under table funds to do the job.

[spidermike007]

This absolute incompetent only acts when it becomes a national emergency, an international embarrassment and humiliation for the government (word is out all over the world right now, and I know people avoiding Thailand due to the news that the air is now comparable to Beijing, Shanghai, and Delhi) or a disaster. He never, ever even considers taking proactive action. He and his ministers do not have the vision for that, nor do they care enough. They desperately need to be replaced, immediately. By anybody. Bozo the Clown could do a far better job than the army. 

 

Something needs to be done. Thailand could start by doing everything in it's power to discourage the purchase of new diesel vehicles. This is happening all over the world, but as usual, Thailand is in last place, when it comes to anything the slightest bit progressive or innovative. Diesel vehicles are ok on the highways, but are terribly impractical around town. At low RPM, they create tremendous soot, and pollution. If the owners could be coerced into changing their oil every 5,000 km, and maintaining their vehicles, that would make a huge difference. If only. If only the administration cared enough to make this happen, while they sit in their ivory, air conditioned towers. 

[Stevemercer]

I live about 40 km from Khon Kaen and it is always hazy this time of year. It won't clear until we get a few thunderstorms at the start of the wet season. Maybe spraying water does help, but you would need to spray an awful lot of it and things are very, very dry out this way.

[randy723]

this is just a waist of good water 

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, randy723 said:

this is just a waist of good water 

Wow! That's an awful lot of water - how tall are you?

 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The haze was clearly visible in this Northeast province as the level of PM2.5 and PM10 particles hit 102 micrograms and 166mcg per cubic metre of air respectively yesterday, well beyond the safety limit of 50mcg for PM2.5 and 100mcg for PM10.

 

I have to disagree on the above statement which seems to only apply in Thailand

Quote: World Health Organisation" 

The guideline stipulates that PM2.5 not exceed 10 μg/m3 annual mean, or 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean; and that PM10 not exceed 20 μg/m3 annual mean, or 50 μg/m3 24-hour mean.

 

Thailand seems to use a different set of "safe" figures than the rest of the world.

They are lying to the people who deserve to be treated better where health is a concerned!!

[Russell17au]

2 hours ago, Ossy said:

You're all missing the obvious. Didn't Prayuth come this way yesterday, en route to Mukdahan? He just opened his oversize gob, breathed in, climbed into his private jet and let all the filth out over Khon Kaen.

 

Well, they can't have it good all the time. Last time, they got it in the Sports Stadium when he was honing his remote cabinet skills . . . even more polluting, maybe.

 

 

 

You are a totally uneducated Ossy. It is not the air that comes out of his mouth that is causing the pollution that is hard to breath, it is the b******t that comes out of his mouth that you drown in.

[Russell17au]

1 hour ago, Stevemercer said:

I live about 40 km from Khon Kaen and it is always hazy this time of year. It won't clear until we get a few thunderstorms at the start of the wet season. Maybe spraying water does help, but you would need to spray an awful lot of it and things are very, very dry out this way.

You are correct in one aspect Steve and that is water spraying does help, but not when it is sprayed from the ground. What is needed is for the water to be spayed above the dust and the only way that can be done is by using large water spraying aircraft like the Lockheed Hercules that the Americans used in Vietnam to spray the chemical defoliant "Agent Orange", the smaller crop dusting aircraft are too small to get to the height that is needed plus they do not carry enough water. The water bombers that are used for fire fighter can get the height and they can carry the water but they only dump the water and do not spray the water. The principle of creating artificial rain is the way to go but it must be done from above the pollution.

[Jadam]

4 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Now every local authority believes spraying valuable water into the air will solve the problem ! We would love to know which idiot came up with that dumb idea. Must be someone high up or everybody would have just laughed at him. 

Why is everyone latching on to this "Washing the sky" nonsense?
Is there even any evidence that this is working?

[Russell17au]

4 minutes ago, Jadam said:

Why is everyone latching on to this "Washing the sky" nonsense?
Is there even any evidence that this is working?

The "Washing the sky" nonsense as you say does actually work, but not from the ground level, you must get above the pollution to get it to work. The pollution is dust particles in the air and when sprayed from above they become heavier than air and therefore they fall to the ground. It does work if done properly

[Ossy]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand seems to use a different set of "safe" figures than the rest of the world.

Thailand uses a different set of EVERYTHING to the rest of the world, especially when it comes to anything involving thinking, planning, considering the 'what-ifs' and the ACTUAL validity of the figures they shout about. I could go on, but for your sake, I won't.

[colinneil]

12 minutes ago, Ossy said:

anything involving thinking, planning, considering the 'what-ifs' and the ACTUAL validity of the figures they shout about. I could go on, but for your sake, I won't.

 

Ossy are you having a laff? Planning, best joke i have seen in a long time.

Silly buggers cant even plan what they will eat tomorrow, let alone plan anything else.

[Justgrazing]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

A crane is used to spray water in front of Khon Kaen’s Provincial Hall yesterday after air pollution in the province exceeded safety limits for four days running.

Just liking p*ssing in the wind ..

The reality of the pollution situation still hasn't sunk in as they continue to fumble with the symptoms over dealing with the cause .. Growing Molasses to be the next big thing here .?

[bluesofa]

19 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Just liking p*ssing in the wind ..

The reality of the pollution situation still hasn't sunk in as they continue to fumble with the symptoms over dealing with the cause .. Growing Molasses to be the next big thing here .?

Just how deep and how far apart do you have to plant the moles?