Haze eases in North, but not worries

By THE NATION

 

 

The average accumulation of airborne PM2.5 dust particles has dipped in the North in the last 24 hours, but it’s worse in some areas because of numerous forest fires.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa was in Chiang Mai on Friday (March 27) assessing the situation, just as the Pollution Control Department reported unsafe levels of PM2.5 pollution in 21 areas across the North. 

 

The range in the past day has been 42-209 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

 

Ministry permanent secretary Chatuphon Burutphat held a video conference on Thursday with 17 officials in the region, noting fire hotspots in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Mae Hong Son.

 

He dispatched his deputy, Pongboon Pongtong, to Chiang Mai to seek out ways to curb the pollution and to warn citizens that setting forest fires to clear brush was having a drastic impact.

 

Chiang Mai University’s Smoke Haze Integrated Research Unit measured the PM2.5 level on Doi Suthep, the mountain overlooking the city, at 700mcg on Tuesday.

 

The safe level recognised in Thailand is 50mcg. The World Health Organisation recommends 25mcg.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384943

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-27

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4 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

and to warn citizens that setting forest fires to clear brush was having a drastic impact.

a ) they wont understand that

b) they wont care

Usual annual claptrap verbal diarrhea from the Govt. No action taken against offenders, they are just marking time until the rains come in May. Rinse, repeat..

Surely no matter what measurement are being used, the air quality in and around Chiang Mai ranges from vile to life-threatening. In Doi Saket it's felt (and smelt) for a few days as if everything local was on fire. I could have all the symptoms of Coronavirus but suffering from upper respiratory chest infections due to the pollution, make it virtually impossible to tell.

Ya know, I get it. Take a look at the sky, it's vast! Then think about all the land beneath it...little wonder that the manpower available can't cope with the burning and it's seems that the Thai mentality is one of "nothing applies to me". It will be years before they sort this (pollution) out and that's of course if they really want to. This government seems to have neither the inclination, resources or cerebral wherewithal to get to grips with the problem and now they have Coronavirus and a worsening economic situation to deal with too!

Seemingly the government works on a just-in-time basis, leaving themselves in a bind because of the lack of cogent, forward planning. This year is already a write-off and it's possible that in the short-term, things might get a lot worse before they get better...

 

Regards.

 

Joe

Oh yes it has eased from the 300's and is now ONLY 228 in Chiang Mai city. But we are still the most polluted city on the planet! 

I woke up this morning and Chiang Mai in the air here is just terrible I can’t believe the government is doing absolutely nothing to help the poor people in Chiang Mai breeds good air TIT

ok, its safe to return now....until next years burn and every other one after

12 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

I woke up this morning and Chiang Mai in the air here is just terrible I can’t believe the government is doing absolutely nothing to help the poor people in Chiang Mai breeds good air TIT

Totally agree . I just look at the reading of PM 2.5 on my machine in the bedroom; if AQI is OK outside it reads about 4 to 6, today its 35. Cant see  more than 800 metres from the haze.

 

Chiang Mai Air Quality.

 

 

189		Unhealthy
Updated on Saturday 6:00

 

 

I really can not believe this, why is this so different?

 

Chiang Rai and the North. Pure poison. ????

Agreed, absolutely appalling this morning. I woke up this morning and the bedroom air purifier reading was at AQI 40 and 150 downstairs inside the house. Govt. needs to ban the sale of mushrooms to help alleviate this problem burning. Never happen of course, to many thick brown envelopes doing the rounds...   

 

 

Well in the space of 3 hours it has gone up to the current 449, which is extremely hazardous. So absolutely no sign of easing and indeed it just gets worse day by day.

 

As for dropping water onto fires the government must be using drones carrying eye droppers. But the Bangkok is the only place that to this so-called government and its predecessors. Bring on the revolution for Lanna independence I say 555.

16 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

I woke up this morning and Chiang Mai in the air here is just terrible I can’t believe the government is doing absolutely nothing to help the poor people in Chiang Mai breeds good air TIT

 

Prayuth is doing his bit :

 

 

Fake news then? 

 

I guess the pm will spring in to action and resolve the problem with grass blowers and even more wind.

Crazy message from Dtac in phone... “Stay safe” ????

I promised myself last year that I would not take one more burning season. So I'm out of here after 15 years. Leaving tomorrow.

I live in the North.  The virus lockdown seem to have kept some of the arsonists who routinely burn the forests in the Hot Season at home and out of the woods with their matches and accelerants. 

Any other worries I may have don't include worries about seasonal viruses.  

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

because of numerous forest fires.

yeah  thank goodness no one is  burning anything

Haze eases in North

 

Who writes this cr@p?

 

 

13 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Haze eases in North

 

Who writes this cr@p?

 

 

The Ministry of Truth of course...

22 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The Ministry of Truth of course...

fake news there  is  no ministry of  truth.........off  with yer  head!

Complete BS. Chiang Rai at 223 as I write, 63 in my condo with TWO air purifiers running.

This is like reading Fox News.

The lack of action in the past 10 years in working towards a solution to this problem is a total disgrace. The Powers-that-Be would appear to have no ideas about how to deal with (currently) the second biggest health-problem in the country.   ---  On this matter, the Local-, Provincial-, and National-Government give every indication that they are "in power", but *not* "in control". 

"He dispatched his deputy, Pongboon Pongtong, to Chiang Mai to seek out ways to curb the pollution and to warn citizens that setting forest fires to clear brush was having a drastic impact."

......everyday is a new day for the Thai.

 

The only thing that has been alleviating the haze has been late morning/mid-afternoon wind,by 8pm the smoke starts to roll back in. Burning is apparently "allowed" from 8pm to whatever time,on condition of letting the piles dry out before being torched.That's perhaps why the mornings have been so bad.

315 on the porch this morning....Yesterday was 285, day before was 350. 

Easing? 

Absolute complete. total, as much as you can get, to the nth degree,multiplied by a lot, incompetence on behalf of the powers that be.

 

This govt and past govt's are allowing their citizens to endure slow painful deaths unnecessarily. They should be ashamed of themselves

 

This situation is WAY more dangerous than Covid-19 and will contribute to many more deaths.

 

Very reminiscent of  Black lung (Pneumoconiosis) . 

 

Pollution is double bad with the virus, since it attack the lungs.

On 3/29/2020 at 6:17 PM, Thailand said:

This situation is WAY more dangerous than Covid-19 and will contribute to many more deaths

bingo

On 3/28/2020 at 12:35 AM, Forza2002 said:

Usual annual claptrap verbal diarrhea from the Govt. No action taken against offenders, they are just marking time until the rains come in May. Rinse, repeat..

The predicted response from the government has been going on for forty years to my knowledge, next we'll get a abridged version of former Prime Minister Yingluck's flood mitigation policy.