Thai PM Yingluck Warns Governors To Act On Haze

[webfact]

PM warns governors to act on haze

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Chiang Mai

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will impose penalties on nine governors of upper northern provinces if they do not take action to control forest fires in their areas.

The move comes after the nine provinces were blanketed by haze from agricultural and forest fires.

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported the atmospheric levels of fine-particle dust, or PM 10, were unsafe in all nine provinces.

The smog situation in the North has prompted the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Interior Ministry to summon the governors for an urgent meeting at Chiang Mai's provincial hall to seek a resolution to the fires causing the haze.

"The prime minister has expressed her concern about the situation and asked the governors to take responsibility if hot spots of forest or bush fires are detected in their areas," Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said at yesterday's meeting.

Preecha said he would use satellite mapping to monitor fire hot spots in each province. If the hot spots continued to be reported in their areas, provincial governors must take responsibility.

He said Yingluck had instructed his ministry and other agencies to enforce laws strictly - such as the Public Health Act, the Transport Act, and criminal law - to punish people who burn forest areas.

However, he said there was no necessity to evacuate people from haze-hit areas, adding that each province would monitor the situation day by day and report directly to the prime minister.

Interior Ministry permanent secretary Pranai Suwannarat, who attended the meeting, said he was told forest fires in many areas in the North were caused by wealthy people who hired locals to burn degraded forest, as they wanted to claim the land.

"Burning forest areas is no longer the way of local villagers' lives. It is being ordered by wealthy people wanting the land," he told the meeting.

Royal Forest Department director-general Suwit Rattnamanee said it was difficult to arrest people for burning in forest reserves because of lack of evidence.

He said responsibility for controlling forest fires had been transferred to local authorities in each province across the country. But, he said, many local authorities did not have enough human resources, facilities and tools to control bush and forest fires.

Yingluck said she had instructed the environment and interior ministers to make their own plans about resolving the haze problem.

She also asked local people not to burn agricultural fields and garbage, saying they should use this material as fertiliser instead.

When asked about claims of officials involved in bush and forest burning, she said she had ordered agencies to investigate charges of wrongdoing by officials.

Lampang Governor Booncherd Kidhen said many burned areas in his province were along highways overseen by the Transport Ministry.

"We found officials had burned grass by the roadsides instead of cutting it," he told the meeting.

The PCD will propose new regulations to the National Environmental Board's pollution control committee to control slash-and-burn activities that also lead to harmful haze.

The new regulations will require farmers who want to burn off their fields to ask permission from local authorities. They must also follow instructions from the PCD about when they can burn off their fields, PCD director-general Wichan Simachaya said.

They will be handed to the pollution control committee on March 9 Friday for approval.

The PCD yesterday reported that Lampang province had the most heavy haze days since January - with 17 days and average atmospheric levels of fine-particle dust, or PM 10, of 279 micrograms per cubic metre. It was followed by Chiang Rai with 16 days and 356.5 micrograms per cubic metre of PM10.

-- The Nation 2012-03-06

[Reasonableman]

asked the governors to take responsibility

There's always a first time for everything, I guess. Make my day!!! ;-)

Edited March 5, 2012 by Reasonableman

[johna]

We know there will be fires, floods, defective sprinkler systems in high rise buildings, and billboards that will fall down in strong winds, but we go locking the stable door after the horse has bolted

[Reasonableman]

Not even locked. Left ajar.

We know there will be fires, floods, defective sprinkler systems in high rise buildings, and billboards that will fall down in strong winds, but we go locking the stable door after the horse has bolted

[belg]

5555 ... yes, governors will be forced to give back their ipad and iphone as a punishment for not acting against the producers of fires / smog / haze

[moe666]

Good luck on controlling this. I stayed in a monastary outside Mae Hong Song a few years ago and we sweep leaves every day. On a few ocassions locals would walk thru and make sign language indicateing that it should be burned not collected.So Ms PM good luck on stopping the burning.

[lovetotravel]

My respect for the PM would rise dramatically if she actually did something about this. Where we live, it's just like the article says. Land being burned for clearing purposes by wealthy people so they can either build something or to just clear out the growth. Just lazy.

[LPCustom69]

Perhaps they can set up fans or boat motors and push it into Laos. 555

[jeffcool]

"Royal Forest Department director-general Suwit Rattnamanee said it was difficult to arrest people for burning in forest reserves because of lack of evidence.

He said responsibility for controlling forest fires had been transferred to local authorities in each province across the country. But, he said, many local authorities did not have enough human resources, facilities and tools to control bush and forest fires."

So why transfer it then???

"Lampang Governor Booncherd Kidhen said many burned areas in his province were along highways overseen by the Transport Ministry.

"We found officials had burned grass by the roadsides instead of cutting it," he told the meeting."

Interior Ministry permanent secretary Pranai Suwannarat: Burning forest areas is no longer the way of local villagers' lives. It is being ordered by wealthy people wanting the land," he told the meeting.

So if i get it correctly....

It's your problem... No, It's your problem.... NO NO NO it's your problem....... Wait a minute we gonna blame the farangs.....

[spirit47]

The masks that the kids are wearing as for nurses, so they spit on the patients. Hold back the dust only marginally, I test while woodworking.

I have here area that without Plastic and collecting leaves and garbage for make new soil. Look like it will be better a little bit.

Who give them Plastic, Poison and american Lifestyle, without told them about danger?

[Ricardo]

Perhaps they can set up fans or boat motors and push it into Laos. 555

It wouldn't work however, to use helicopters to push the smoke back over the borders, since they wouldn't be able to operate at night !

[bigbamboo]

Good for Yingluck! She's clearly taken on board HM's comments about punishing those in office who fail in their duty to Thailand.

[Soupdragon]

Good for Yingluck! She's clearly taken on board HM's comments about punishing those in office who fail in their duty to Thailand.

That will be true when someone is actually punished.

[bigbamboo]

Good for Yingluck! She's clearly taken on board HM's comments about punishing those in office who fail in their duty to Thailand.

That will be true when someone is actually punished.

Would Ms Yingluck administering six of the best be a deterrent?

[connda]

Let's put things into perspective. The MP vote themselves 50 million baht worth of iPads and iPhones. In order to control the haze, a reward of 5000 baht is offered to turn in offenders.

What's wrong with this picture?

In a country like the US, setting fire to a national forest is arson. Rewards upward of $10000 are offered for the identification and prosecution of offenders. That would be about 300,000 baht. So, make turning in offender worthwhile. 5000 baht is peanuts for becoming a snitch, even to poor villagers. But 50,000 baht? 100,000 baht. With those sums they might start catching the folks setting the fires to the forests. And blaming it on the wealthy. Scapegoating! I'm sure it happens, but most of the fires set in the forests around the village I live in are set by the locals clearing the undergrowth in order to harvest mushrooms during the rainy season. No "Wealthy" folk involved. And I'm definitely not a proponent of the practice considering the abysmal air quality in our village in Lamphun, and the fact that two years ago we lost 1/3 of my wifes Lumyai orchard to a fire that came down out of the Khun Tan national forest. And this year the locals are burning up the Khun Tan national forest with unusual zeal. It's like pissing in your bath water -- Very ignorant people out here.

The government should reallocate some of money earmarked for pork barrel spending (like iPads for MPs), and use those moneys to focus on re-education efforts with the farmers. Instead of burning field, the farmers need to be shown how to recycle the organic materials into composts which will ultimately increase their crop yields. The farmers are "ignorant" not stupid. Slash and burn has been done for so long it's engrained into their culture. But there are too many people and farms to continue the practice. The government need to act as an agent of change. There is a solution to this problem.

Edited March 6, 2012 by connda

[oldgent]

Good for Yingluck! She's clearly taken on board HM's comments about punishing those in office who fail in their duty to Thailand.

i was just thinking the same thing. does the punishment start at the top. tickets will be on sale soon

the winner gets to spank the PM

[Thai at Heart]

My respect for the PM would rise dramatically if she actually did something about this. Where we live, it's just like the article says. Land being burned for clearing purposes by wealthy people so they can either build something or to just clear out the growth. Just lazy.

she's from that part of the world. how do you know they aren't burning it on her behalf?

[Moruya]

In breaking news, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok has announced the million hoovers initiative for Chiang Mai.

Households owning a vacuum cleaner have been invited to assist in 12 hour shifts along the banks of the River Ping. Power will be provided by daisy-chained power leads in a uniquely Thai exercise.

Pracha explained "In line with our hugely successful thousand boats rescue of Bangkok late last year, we feel that this quantity of vacuum cleaners will provide a marked difference to air quality in the region within a day or two."

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is believed to have spawned the idea after witnessing her maid removing the dust from her prized Burberry boots yesterday morning. Yingluck refused to comment on the accreditation remarking, enigmatically, that "everything should take its course."

In what will be a world record an estimated 18 kilometers of the riverside will be lined with around 9,000 extension leads on either bank powering some 98,000 hoovers. The power will be provided by a single outlet either side of the river.

[lungmi]

"Royal Forest Department director-general Suwit Rattnamanee said it was difficult to arrest people for burning in forest reserves because of lack of evidence.

He said responsibility for controlling forest fires had been transferred to local authorities in each province across the country. But, he said, many local authorities did not have enough human resources, facilities and tools to control bush and forest fires."

So why transfer it then???

"Lampang Governor Booncherd Kidhen said many burned areas in his province were along highways overseen by the Transport Ministry.

"We found officials had burned grass by the roadsides instead of cutting it," he told the meeting."

Interior Ministry permanent secretary Pranai Suwannarat: Burning forest areas is no longer the way of local villagers' lives. It is being ordered by wealthy people wanting the land," he told the meeting.

So if i get it correctly....

It's your problem... No, It's your problem.... NO NO NO it's your problem....... Wait a minute we gonna blame the farangs.....

Burning the sides of the Highways in Lampang Province is common use when the local communities don*t have the money

from a higher place to pay their workers. This time some communities use their budget for flood preventing before the promised money from Yingluck comes.

[heybruce]

I can attest to the fact that air quality in Chiang Mai is terrible. I hope she is serious about making improvements, but even if she is, changing old habits and overcoming entrenched moneyed interests is never easy.

[GentlemanJim]

In breaking news, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok has announced the million hoovers initiative for Chiang Mai. Households owning a vacuum cleaner have been invited to assist in 12 hour shifts along the banks of the River Ping. Power will be provided by daisy-chained power leads in a uniquely Thai exercise. Pracha explained "In line with our hugely successful thousand boats rescue of Bangkok late last year, we feel that this quantity of vacuum cleaners will provide a marked difference to air quality in the region within a day or two." Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is believed to have spawned the idea after witnessing her maid removing the dust from her prized Burberry boots yesterday morning. Yingluck refused to comment on the accreditation remarking, enigmatically, that "everything should take its course." In what will be a world record an estimated 18 kilometers of the riverside will be lined with around 9,000 extension leads on either bank powering some 98,000 hoovers. The power will be provided by a single outlet either side of the river.

You are very naughty!! That could end up being quoted in the Nation or the BKP as fact and before you know it the plan will be fully implemented

[Moruya]

In breaking news, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok has announced the million hoovers initiative for Chiang Mai. Households owning a vacuum cleaner have been invited to assist in 12 hour shifts along the banks of the River Ping. Power will be provided by daisy-chained power leads in a uniquely Thai exercise. Pracha explained "In line with our hugely successful thousand boats rescue of Bangkok late last year, we feel that this quantity of vacuum cleaners will provide a marked difference to air quality in the region within a day or two." Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is believed to have spawned the idea after witnessing her maid removing the dust from her prized Burberry boots yesterday morning. Yingluck refused to comment on the accreditation remarking, enigmatically, that "everything should take its course." In what will be a world record an estimated 18 kilometers of the riverside will be lined with around 9,000 extension leads on either bank powering some 98,000 hoovers. The power will be provided by a single outlet either side of the river.

You are very naughty!! That could end up being quoted in the Nation or the BKP as fact and before you know it the plan will be fully implemented

One can only hope Jim!

Ha ha!

[bigbamboo]

In breaking news, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok has announced the million hoovers initiative for Chiang Mai. Households owning a vacuum cleaner have been invited to assist in 12 hour shifts along the banks of the River Ping. Power will be provided by daisy-chained power leads in a uniquely Thai exercise. Pracha explained "In line with our hugely successful thousand boats rescue of Bangkok late last year, we feel that this quantity of vacuum cleaners will provide a marked difference to air quality in the region within a day or two." Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is believed to have spawned the idea after witnessing her maid removing the dust from her prized Burberry boots yesterday morning. Yingluck refused to comment on the accreditation remarking, enigmatically, that "everything should take its course." In what will be a world record an estimated 18 kilometers of the riverside will be lined with around 9,000 extension leads on either bank powering some 98,000 hoovers. The power will be provided by a single outlet either side of the river.

You are very naughty!! That could end up being quoted in the Nation or the BKP as fact and before you know it the plan will be fully implemented

One can only hope Jim!

Ha ha!

I'm only surprised Science Minister and Chiang Mai's ex-Masterchef Plodrasop didn't think of it first.