Chiang Mai reports cleaner air

[webfact]

Chiang Mai reports cleaner air

By Nisanart Kangwanwong, 
Nopporn Thathan 
The Nation

 

 

Polluted air levels dropped in Chaing Mai province on Thursday thanks to some rainfall and strong winds.

 

Chiang Mai Natural Resource and Environment Office director Saratcha Suriyakul Na Ayudhaya also said public, private and other sectors contributed to the drop by spraying water and cleaning road surfaces.

 

However, many areas of Chiang Mai still reported high levels of haze - ranking 63-90 micrograms per cubic metre of air, according to the Pollution Control Department (PCD)at 9am. 

 

The PCD reported the average 24-hour amount of PM2.5 - airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter - in nine northern provinces ranged from 30 mcg-171 mcg, with tambon Jong Kham in Muang Mae Hong Son having 171 mcg, tambon Wiang Phang Kham in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district having 118 mcg and tambon Chang Pheuk in Muang Chaing Mai having 90 mcg). 

 

Chiang Mai also lost the title as the world's most polluted city on airvisual.com. As of 11am, Chiang Mai was in the 5th place with an air quality index (AQI) of 165, following Delhi (230), Lahore (190), Shanghai (184) and Denpasar (175). 

 

The haze issue in Chiang Mai was largely due to multiple forest fires - a total of 31 hot spots reported as of 1.30am most of which were in conserved forestland in Chaing Dao and Fang districts, Saratcha said. 

 

He said that, from January 1 until March 26, Chiang Mai had a total of 934 hot spots - 461 of which occurred in conserved forestland. The authority imposed an outdoor burning ban from March 1 through April 30 and has so far arrested nine violators most of whom were poachers looking for forest products. 

 

Saratcha said that the authority also would launch a campaign to instil among small children the negative impact of people lighting fire in forest, which resulted in health-affecting haze.

 

In Phayao's Mae Chai district, Mae Puem National Park's participation promoting division head Pathom Meesap revealed that his team had a key mission to fight forest fire that had ravaged areas in Chiang Rai and Phayao in the past month. 

 

Many forest firefighters developed health issues with rashes, skin and eye irritation and were deprived of sleep, having a total of eight hours of sleep in three days, he said.

 

Pathom also noted that, as many northern villagers believed that delicious forest products like "Hed Thob" hygroscopic earthstar (Astraeus hygrometricus) were best grown in a heated environment and were more visible and easy to collect. Some people resorted to speed up the process by lighting fires which often went out of control. 

 

Most cases of forest fires in his jurisdiction area stemmed from poachers using a "homemade timer" - a bunch of lit joss sticks, tied up with some matchsticks near the joss stick handles, at multiple target spots, he said. 

 

This method let the wrongdoers escape arrest and remain unknown, as they would go home right after placing the bunches and would return for the forest products days later.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30366706

 



-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-28

[Thailand]

Yes, nice to be proud to report that the polluted air is just a little bit less hazardous.

[mike787]

Hey, BREAKING NEWS...the air is clean for the rest of the year now.  Come on up!  Then same thing next year and every year after that.  I'll let you know when to come up - AGAIN.????

[Lacessit]

"Chiang Mai Natural Resource and Environment Office director Saratcha Suriyakul Na Ayudhaya also said public, private and other sectors contributed to the drop by spraying water and cleaning road surfaces."

 

Complete BS. The only thing that has reduced the particulate level is the rainfall. Which cereal box did this guy get his academic qualifications from?

[Pravda]

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

"Chiang Mai Natural Resource and Environment Office director Saratcha Suriyakul Na Ayudhaya also said public, private and other sectors contributed to the drop by spraying water and cleaning road surfaces."

 

Complete BS. The only thing that has reduced the particulate level is the rainfall. Which cereal box did this guy get his academic qualifications from?

From the same box that virtually every other Thai academic has received the supreme accolade from..

 

"Lloyd George knew my father..and my father knew Lloyd George.."

[worgeordie]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

has so far arrested nine violators most of whom were poachers looking for forest products. 

The 500 Thb deterrent fine i suppose,while smoking

a cigarette on the beach.......

regards worgeordie

[Thunder26]

It's still between 150 and 200 which is unhealthy.

[THAIJAMES]

42 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

"Chiang Mai Natural Resource and Environment Office director Saratcha Suriyakul Na Ayudhaya also said public, private and other sectors contributed to the drop by spraying water and cleaning road surfaces."

 

Complete BS. The only thing that has reduced the particulate level is the rainfall. Which cereal box did this guy get his academic qualifications from?

He got it from the same cereal box as everyone else in the government. ????

 

Amazing Thailand

Edited March 28, 2019 by THAIJAMES

[brommers]

Hang on there Mr Ayudhya, it is Friday 08:25 and it is already aqi 212 and climbing. Don't be so quick to try to polish a certain person's balls. It will be a long time before anyone here with breathe cleaner air. And before any cogent actions are taking to deal with the cause rather than playing around with ineffectual palliatives.

[cmsally]

It looks like it will climb back up to very high levels. We missed out on most of the rain the past few days and the next week is forecast as very dry.

[cerox]

150-200 does not bother any Thai person here. "Normal air" here.

 

There is a "strict burning ban" in place. So the air will stay very very good now ????

[Zack61]

Problem over. Phew, thank goodness. All that water spraying must have worked. Now they have a working strategy/solution they can apply next year. Looking forward to it already but I guess it will still be the best three months to be somewhere else. 

 

[cmsally]

They shouldn't be so hasty in their news reports. This morning at 10-11am

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

In Germany, the country of PM hysteria all the mentioned numbers would lead to a shutdown of the country

[Ulic]

So.....it seems celebrations are in order when they are no longer in the top three. 

[terminatorchiangmai]

one swallow doesn't make a summer.

Back to normal / bad again.

[Brigand]

Maybe more likely that Chang Mai local officials were told to report more positive results...they just forgot in their denial that everyone can check the real deal on many air quality sites.