Drought, northern haze, forest fires

[rooster59]

Drought, northern haze, forest fires

tewit kemtong

 

 

BANGKOK, 26 April 2019(NNT) - Hot spots and airborne particulate matter in nine northern provinces have risen again. A fire broke out in a forest reserve in Phrae province, prompting authorities to keep putting it out.

 

Personnel from varied agencies as well as volunteer villagers extinguished the fire which had occurred since April 19 in the forest reserve straddling Tambon Huay Rai in Den Chai district of Phrae and the capital district of Uttaradit. The authorities found the fire which claimed damage to 1,500 rai of land very difficult to keep under control due to unyielding access to it. A helicopter dumped water in an airborne effort to help put out the fire and barriers were set up to contain it.

 

Meanwhile, the PM 2.5 airborne dust in the nine northern provinces was reported by the Department of Pollution Control’s Air4thai website in a range of 51 to 205 micrograms per cubic meter with the highest, red-zone hot spot reported in Tambon Chong Kham in the capital district of Mae Hong Son where the particulate matter has remained at health-affecting level.

 

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has declared a total of 287 villages in 39 tambon in 13 districts of five provinces namely Roi Et, Sri Saket, Nakhon Ratchasima, Trat and Chonburi, as drought-hit areas.

 

Department of Groundwater Resources Director General Kusol Chotirat confirmed that preparations have been made for the inspection into the conditions of groundwater wells, water pumps, waterworks and water quality improvement systems in the face of the current drought. A total of 132 permanent water distribution spots have been set up to provide clean drinking water while 737 groundwater wells are being excavated within this month in areas which might be in lack of water. Nakharat units and trucks equipped with the water quality improvement system have been deployed to make clean drinking water for villagers in drought-hit areas.

 

-- © Copyright nnt 2019-04-27

 

[connda]

12 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Hot spots and airborne particulate matter in nine northern provinces have risen again. A fire broke out in a forest reserve in Phrae province, prompting authorities to keep putting it out.

More accurate:
An arsonist set another undergrowth clearing 'mushroom' fire in a forest reserve in Phrae province, prompting authorities to keep putting it out.

[kevvy]

had a fire here last week , not far from home .It was lit 3 times over a period of 24 hours .The local fire men couldn't believe it .Good job they go it under control .

[laislica]

had a fire here last week , not far from home .It was lit 3 times over a period of 24 hours .The local fire men couldn't believe it .Good job they go it under control .

Sounds like a special kinda hell. Hope it's under control and it too stressful. X

Sent from my SM-J610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Prissana Pescud]

I have just returned from Cambodia to Thailand. Paddy field burning in Cambodia is still happening.

I do not offer a solution except that it needs to be an ASEAN high priority topic.

Sorry, that is not on the ASEAN agenda. 

 

I don't know who can educate the farmers that rice stubble improves the soil.

There is no need to burn it.

Even if you do not plough it back into the soil, stubble will soon break down and improve the soil.

The problem is not uneducated farmers, it is so called educated politicians.

[canopy]

4 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

There is no need to burn it.

Yes, but you have to understand they truly enjoy setting these fires and they simply don't care about the downsides. To put this in perspective note there is also no need to smoke cigarettes, but you'll find farmers puffing away. They could simply care less about the health or economic downsides and will blow smoke in your face if you bring it up. It's very important to understand no amount of awareness or education will bring change. The solution is simple: enforcement. The problem is no one wants that. The farmers are happy lighting fires and the people are content to put up with it; just like what happened before there were smoking laws. Just one happy family.

 

It's the outsiders that see a problem. The Thai's get defensive when outsiders raise the air pollution issue. Like the CM official who last year publicly slammed activists and took out a law suit against them for raising awareness about the pollution. Or the pollution control department who rigs the pollution scale to hide the extent of pollution and they become irritated if you talk in terms of meaningful clean air scales like the WHO or US EPA..."nevermind that, our air is fine just look at the thai scale!" Now knowing this don't say you weren't warned, but just try "educating" one farmer and see what happens. Tarred and feathered.

 

Edited April 27, 2019 by canopy

[overherebc]

7 hours ago, kevvy said:

had a fire here last week , not far from home .It was lit 3 times over a period of 24 hours .The local fire men couldn't believe it .Good job they go it under control .

Around our way it's a daily ritual. Sitting outside in the evening at this time of year is possible only because of the wind direction, blowing south to north, generally. Not farmers, just the local yokels who will burn household rubbish in the garden rather than walk 5 metres to the supplied rubbish bins. Every night it's easy to see plumes of smoke rising around the area from garden fires.

One expat neighbour, who has now thankfully moved, used to sit and watch his wife burn rubbish couldn't understand why I hooked up a hose and sprayed the fire with water. His reasoning was 'it's Thailand, evryone does it'.

After they moved away my wife was told it was because we were terrible neighbours who complained every week about them burning rubbish.

[Prissana Pescud]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Yes, but you have to understand they truly enjoy setting these fires and they simply don't care about the downsides. To put this in perspective note there is also no need to smoke cigarettes, but you'll find farmers puffing away. They could simply care less about the health or economic downsides and will blow smoke in your face if you bring it up. It's very important to understand no amount of awareness or education will bring change. The solution is simple: enforcement. The problem is no one wants that. The farmers are happy lighting fires and the people are content to put up with it; just like what happened before there were smoking laws. Just one happy family.

 

It's the outsiders that see a problem. The Thai's get defensive when outsiders raise the air pollution issue. Like the CM official who last year publicly slammed activists and took out a law suit against them for raising awareness about the pollution. Or the pollution control department who rigs the pollution scale to hide the extent of pollution and they become irritated if you talk in terms of meaningful clean air scales like the WHO or US EPA..."nevermind that, our air is fine just look at the thai scale!" Now knowing this don't say you weren't warned, but just try "educating" one farmer and see what happens. Tarred and feathered.

 

I try to be less cynical. I have been to schools in Thailand and

it shocked me to see how little they are taught.

I live in a rural area and I can truly say that they truly do care about there environment.

 Still, they got rid of the weed killer that many countries still use. The village people do care.

But... every where they go, armed angry men in uniform tell them the "rules",

[canopy]

3 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

I live in a rural area and I can truly say that they truly do care about there environment

For example?

 

3 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

I try to be less cynical

Cynical? I am dead serious and truly honest about everything I said.

 

3 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Still, they got rid of the weed killer that many countries still use

No they didn't.

 

Maybe you are just telling jokes and not being serious?

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by canopy

[kevvy]

13 hours ago, laislica said:

Sounds like a special kinda hell. Hope it's under control and it too stressful. X

Sent from my SM-J610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Thanks , everything is OK .When we rang the lead village man they had someone there in 10 minutes .. Just amazes us the mentally of these people who lit the fires

[kevvy]

5 hours ago, overherebc said:

Around our way it's a daily ritual. Sitting outside in the evening at this time of year is possible only because of the wind direction, blowing south to north, generally. Not farmers, just the local yokels who will burn household rubbish in the garden rather than walk 5 metres to the supplied rubbish bins. Every night it's easy to see plumes of smoke rising around the area from garden fires.

One expat neighbour, who has now thankfully moved, used to sit and watch his wife burn rubbish couldn't understand why I hooked up a hose and sprayed the fire with water. His reasoning was 'it's Thailand, evryone does it'.

After they moved away my wife was told it was because we were terrible neighbours who complained every week about them burning rubbish.

I would have done the same , lucky my neighbours do not burn .

[overherebc]

37 minutes ago, kevvy said:

I would have done the same , lucky my neighbours do not burn .

Couple of times I fancied finding out if my neighbour burned. ????????????