Gen Prawit stresses forest fire mitigation is on the “national agenda”

[webfact]

 

By Tanakorn Sangiam

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has held a meeting with provincial governors from across the country on prevention and mitigation plans for haze and forest fires, stressing that the prevention of these disasters would mean the general public doesn’t have to contend with more health hazards in addition to COVID-19.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan presided over the After Action Review session on haze and forest fire prevention in the coming year, participated in by provincial governors from all areas, the Royal Thai Police, and related agencies.

 

In the meeting, participants presented information on their previous missions and heard suggestions related to haze and forest fire prevention and mitigation in the Greater Bangkok Area, 17 northern provinces, and other fire hazard areas across the country.

 

The measures implemented in the past as well as new suggestions are aimed at limiting the emission of airborne particulate matter, preventing the level of such fine dust in the air, to no more than an acceptable level.

 

On this occasion, Gen Prawit delivered a policy encouraging all related agencies to focus on the health and safety of the public, urging the enhancement of the Single Command protocol to give provincial governors more capacity in monitoring the situation and commanding local agencies in a quick and efficient manner.

 

He stressed better cooperation with neighboring countries is needed, especially in the control of burn-off activities.

 

Meanwhile, more stringent enforcement of the law is needed to control forest burning, prevent deforestation for farming, suppress the number of vehicles emitting black smoke, and regulate emissions from manufacturing plants.

 

Further development of a forecast system for air pollution is also needed to estimate the accumulation of airborne particles in the next 3-7 days, along with more preparedness for public notification and patient treatment from illnesses caused by airborne particles.

 

Gen Prawit has stressed that prevention of haze and forest fire is considered one of the most important items on the national agenda. He urged related agencies to learn from previous events to constantly improve their responses and ensure their preparedness.

 

He said that COVID-19 measures must be integrated with these plans, along with good and consistent communications with villagers to help prevent panic and boost confidence.

 

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-- © Copyright NNT 2021-08-24

 

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[RubbaJohnny]

We've got the Time, but he's got the watches

[RJRS1301]

3 hours ago, RubbaJohnny said:

We've got the Time, but he's got the watches

Wearing a very smart looking one in that pic

The bracelets on same wrist though look tacky and cheap

Edited August 24, 2021 by RJRS1301

[DaveE13]

Dinosaur

[Gandtee]

What a load of tosh! Bla. bla, bla. Empty words. Crop burning has gone on unabated since time began and despite the banning of it continues to this day. Until laws are enforced to stop this practice and to punish factory owners and directors for allowing polluting emissions, nothing will change.

[RJRS1301]

8 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

What a load of tosh! Bla. bla, bla. Empty words. Crop burning has gone on unabated since time began and despite the banning of it continues to this day. Until laws are enforced to stop this practice and to punish factory owners and directors for allowing polluting emissions, nothing will change.

The production of brown envelopes though is non polluting 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has held a meeting with provincial governors from across the country on prevention and mitigation plans for haze and forest fires, stressing that the prevention of these disasters would mean the general public doesn’t have to contend with more health hazards in addition to COVID-19.

Is it safe to wheel him out again?

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Let the Forest dwellers, dwell they ran the Forests well before any Government agency and clearly did a good job. Now Government agencies cause problems.

[DLock]

He was better in the Goonies...

[mickyr55]

33 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

What a load of tosh! Bla. bla, bla. Empty words. Crop burning has gone on unabated since time began and despite the banning of it continues to this day. Until laws are enforced to stop this practice and to punish factory owners and directors for allowing polluting emissions, nothing will change.

Also the smog produced from this annual event kills far more people than the great Covid crisis, so add the 2 together for the latest season should probably wipe Chang Mai off the map. 

[herfiehandbag]

To be tackled, no doubt, in time...

[RJRS1301]

18 minutes ago, mickyr55 said:

Also the smog produced from this annual event kills far more people than the great Covid crisis, so add the 2 together for the latest season should probably wipe Chang Mai off the map. 

However smog related deaths are not transmissible or contagious

Edited August 24, 2021 by RJRS1301

[4MyEgo]

So life in prison for those starting the fires would be a great suggestion/deterrent, but then again, you have to get some off of their lazy a$$'s to get out their to apprehend them, and we all know there is no incentive for that, maybe he can lead the charge as he looks as if he can lose a few pounds, although he will have to adjust his watchbands from the sudden weight loss, now that could all be too muk for chubby ?

[TheAppletons]

Forest fire mitigation....right up there with "saving our people with vaccines".  Assclown.

[Will B Good]

Sounds like this is a red hot topic for some and a burning issue for others.

[realfunster]

Last weekend, I felt like getting out of the city to enjoy a bit of greenery.

I drove out to Nong Chok, it's about 45-50km in a north-easterly direction from the Erawan Shrine.

 

Dozens of fires all over the place, anyway I got out the car to have a coffee at a roadside shop.

They had prepared a small garden to the rear of the shop to sit down and enjoy the view over the fields.

I lasted about 5 minutes before the smoke irritated my eyes and nose.

 

I feel it is going to be a long and hard battle to get people to change their habits. 

[Will B Good]

Just now, realfunster said:

Last weekend, I felt like getting out of the city to enjoy a bit of greenery.

I drove out to Nong Chok, it's about 45-50km in a north-easterly direction from the Erawan Shrine.

 

Dozens of fires all over the place, anyway I got out the car to have a coffee at a roadside shop.

They had prepared a small garden to the rear of the shop to sit down and enjoy the view over the fields.

I lasted about 5 minutes before the smoke irritated my eyes and nose.

 

I feel it is going to be a long and hard battle to get people to change their habits. 

Burning stuff is the easy option and the easy option is the route most people will take (to be fair not just Thais).

 

Only two things will stop them burning rubbish/rice/ sugar cane......strongly enforced laws (555) or money from the government.

 

We're all doomed.

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

more stringent enforcement of the law is needed

A police force would help. How hard can it be to see a pall of smoke rising miles into the air from the A/C offices of the lets-pretend cops?  How easy is it to pull over a black-smoke emitting pick-up?  On EVERY corner of every city soi, chicken broilers set fire to meat obscuring the view of motorists. Alternate days local wats burn their rubbish. 

Why would any rich tourist want to inhale carcinogenic smoke for two weeks every year?

[Will B Good]

22 minutes ago, mikebell said:

A police force would help. How hard can it be to see a pall of smoke rising miles into the air from the A/C offices of the lets-pretend cops?  How easy is it to pull over a black-smoke emitting pick-up?  On EVERY corner of every city soi, chicken broilers set fire to meat obscuring the view of motorists. Alternate days local wats burn their rubbish. 

Why would any rich tourist want to inhale carcinogenic smoke for two weeks every year?

Nana?

[Sydebolle]

As Mr. Prawit Wongsuwan seems to be a democratically elected army-general-turned-politician, I sometimes wonder, why he is still referred to as a "General".

A little bit like Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, who is a fugitive in the legal context of the Thai law. Yet still they refer to the latter as former Prime Minister rather than "fugitive".

Boggles the mind as, where I come from, they do not refer to me as "former Grade 2 student", nor "Doctor" but simply by my name as I am retired and the only official title could be "Grandpa" - just thinking .......... 

[rudi49jr]

Gen Prawit stresses forest fire mitigation is “on the national agenda”.

 

That’s just a polite way of telling people to get lost. They couldn’t care less about forest fires. Nothing  has been done for decades, and nothing will change, unless there’s big money to be made.

[RJRS1301]

"on the agenda", can be dealt with at this meeting, or relisted as an agenda item ongoing, ad infinitum .

[PETERTHEEATER]

To deter mocking from TV posters he now wears his hard-earned parachute wings on a red medal ribbon. Time to bail out Horology Man, the cabinet plane is going down in flames......

[Jimbo2014]

Our time keeper is a picture of health.  I note that his short note did not include any mention of agricultural fires - which are the main cause of the entire population of Thailand to choke for 5 months a year.  These guys are completely useless.