Chiang Mai holds urgent meeting to cope with haze issue

CHIANG MAI, 3 March 2015 (NNT) – The Governor of Chiang Mai has called an urgent meeting to mitigate the wildfire and haze disaster, after the province's particulate matter readings were above standard values.

The Governor of Chiang Mai Suriya Prasartbandit has called an urgent meeting on the province’s haze and wildfire situation mitigation, after the province's small particulate matter (PM10) value reading yesterday registered 181 microgram per cubic meter, which is higher than the standard value.

The Chiang Mai Governor has reported that officials had reported the cause of the haze in the meeting from the analysis of the satellite images which Satellite images indicates that wildfire occured in the southern districts of the province, according to the Chiang Mai Governor, citing official reports.

There were also wildfire hotspots in neighbouring countries, while the winds has brought the smoke to the basin-shape landscape of Chiang Mai, affecting several provinces in the area.

On this issue, the provincial authority has ordered all related local agencies to analyze the satellite images from the ad hoc center on the haze and wildfire mitigation, to precisely find the location of the wildfires in order to execute the operation at the most effect location.

The ad hoc center was also appointed to provide 24 hour monitoring the situation and come up with the daily mitigation plan every day of the week. The main mitigation measure is enacted through dispersing water into the air, especially to trees and houses, to help reduce the intensity of airborne particles.

Authorities in Chiang Mai province will deploy tank cars to spray water in the area around the city moat and at several places in the city on 3 March 2015, in an attempt to reduce the particles and raise the humidity level. All agencies have been asked to strictly enforce the anti-fire regulation in all areas and to create the understanding of the situation to the public.

The public has also been asked to monitor the situation. Assistance in arrests will result in a reward of 5,000 baht per person.

-- NNT 2015-03-03

All this time and effort wasted on something that will never be rectified in CM. I remember they brought in a fining system years ago but the burning continued unabated, sometimes right by the side of main roads even! These resources would be better served in developing a model that calculates how many more songthaews can be crammed around the moat.

POLLUTION
Health fears in the North as smog spreads
Patinya Srisupamart
The Nation



Annual burnoff causing havoc again

CHIANG MAI: -- POLLUTION LEVEls in the North have reached potentially health-harming levels in some areas due to uncontrolled burns and wild fires, new data has revealed.

The Pollution Control Department revealed yesterday that nine air-quality monitoring stations in northern provinces found that the volume of particulate matter with a maximum diameter of 10 microns (PM10) had risen over the safe level of 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

The highest recorded figure so far is an alarming 254 micrograms in Lampang, while its has also risen above a safe level in Lamphun (214), Phrae (209), Chiang Mai (176) and Tak (130).

The Air Quality Index in the North has also exceeded a safe level. Yesterday the AQI measure at most monitoring stations was over 100. Lampang's air pollution was the worst with an AQI level of 159.

Due to the hazardous levels of air pollution, the Ministry of Health has advised particualrly vulnerable persons such as children, the elderly and the sick to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. But if people are forced to go outside they should wear a mask or cover their face with a wet towel.

The ministry has distributed 140,000 masks in the seven northern provinces.

Chiang Mai has been covered by smog for several days due to a wild fire.

Siriporn Plarak, a Chiang Mai resident, said she had shortened her exercising in a park because if she stayed too long the smog irritated her eyes and made her throat soared.

Siriporn said the pollution was making people sick.

The smog was so thick in parts of the province that the peaks of Doi Suthep and Doi Pui could not be seen from the city. In Chiang Mai, the visibility has been reduced to only three kilometres.

Airport affected

At Chiang Mai International Airport, pilots have been forced to take extra care when taking off and landing.

This is not the first time Chiang Mai residents have gone through this. In March last year Chiang Mai recorded a PM10 level of 243 micrograms.

The air pollution is a chronic problem in the northern region. Every year in the dry season, farmers burn fields to clear land, creating a huge amount of smog and dust while the potential for wild fires is high due to the dry conditions.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Health-fears-in-the-North-as-smog-spreads-30255202.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-03

Lots of dust in CM caused by dirty construction sites, innumerable wheels running over every soil particle 1000X, and sure, lack of rainfall.

Lots of air pollution caused by innumerable 2, 3, 4 and more wheeled, vehicles running around the city, vehicles which would never, ever meet normal emission standards in a 'civilized' place.

So i can conclude that burning the rice fields and nearby forests contribute about 40% to the current air problem of CM.

Ignorance and a weak government contribute heavily to the balance.

Lots of dust in CM caused by dirty construction sites, innumerable wheels running over every soil particle 1000X, and sure, lack of rainfall.

Lots of air pollution caused by innumerable 2, 3, 4 and more wheeled, vehicles running around the city, vehicles which would never, ever meet normal emission standards in a 'civilized' place.

So i can conclude that burning the rice fields and nearby forests contribute about 40% to the current air problem of CM.

Ignorance and a weak government contribute heavily to the balance.

May I suggest using" developed" It is a more accurate than "civilized" when speaking of Thailand. After all what fool would choose to live outside of civilization.

Chiang Mai to fight haze with water spray

Chiang Mai: – Provincial governor Suriya Prasatbandit has called for relevant agencies and the private sector to spray water in the town areas as a way to fight haze.

Suriya is scheduled today to turn on the water spray at Tha Phae Gate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805207-chiang-mai-to-fight-haze-with-water-spray/

Goes on year after year, after year with a lot of talk and nothing is ever done. Will still be the same problem in 50 years, more money to talk about it and the wheels keep turning.

Urgent meeting??It is a new problem?...Give us a break!

Chiang Mai to fight haze with water spray

Chiang Mai: – Provincial governor Suriya Prasatbandit has called for relevant agencies and the private sector to spray water in the town areas as a way to fight haze.

Suriya is scheduled today to turn on the water spray at Tha Phae Gate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805207-chiang-mai-to-fight-haze-with-water-spray/

http://air4thai.pcd.go.th/web/

thats a lot of haze

Edited March 3, 201511 yr by rabid old goat

I see fires burning all around me here in Pattaya. Some are so bad, you can't see 1km down the road. And nothing is done.

Some of the worst are the charcoal makers. Their fires burn all the time....

Goes on year after year, after year with a lot of talk and nothing is ever done. Will still be the same problem in 50 years, more money to talk about it and the wheels keep turning.

What would you suggest they do about burning in other countries that affect Chiang Mai

Edited March 3, 201511 yr by moe666

Too little,Too late, EVERY YEAR,its a wonder they are not

resurrecting the great idea of HUGE fans to blow the haze

away to somewhere else ,thats how serious they are

about solving this problem.

regards Worgeordie

Year 1800 Chaing mai orders hearing on smoke haze......... Forward year 2015 Chaing mai orders hearing on smoke haze

Current status with reports from CM members here - Smoke, Smog, Dust 2015

Chiang Mai has "Urgent" meeting to do the same as last year, and the year before, and the yeat before, and the year before, and the year before, and the yeat before, and the year before...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Health-fears-in-the-North-as-smog-spreads-30255202.html

I just drove from Nong Khai through to CM and back via Pitsanulok/Khon Kaen. The whole of Issan is either tinder dry or ablaze. Huge sections of road are nearly impassable due to smoke. There is rampant unnecessary burning and there are acres of fields of sunflowers and crops wilting. Yams are being planted,though! There needs to be rain!!

We rode the Samoeng loop last weekend and I was amazed at how the blackened earth from the "wildfires" dotting the hillside we're so well behaved as to stay within a farmers plot of land....

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

Drove back from Chiang Rai at night last week.

There were two large wildfires visible from the highway [118] on the west slope of Doi Mae Tho near the hot springs.

The Thai Army and, or the BPP should get involved in firefighting.

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

To help with our understanding, can you please explain how these 'spontaneous' fires start?

Not particularly off topic, but I would suggest that they hold their "urgent meeting" in the open "air" rather than an AC meeting room,

it would give them a taste of reality.

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

I also live outside of cm , and I can tell u 100% these hill fires are started for mushroom growth.

I have just been on the Mae Hong song loop and seen fires everywhere, whole mountains in Pai on fire and all started deliberately

Nothing will change the local government do nothing, the police r too busy in the town collecting money from motorbike riders to go and arrest fire starters

Local people just take this as a natural occurrence

You can learn to live with it if u like , but I will leave this city asap

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......................

its like goldfish in a tank.you have seen them sucking in and spitting out the water. meeting is the same the more they do this the cleaner the air will be.

Opening your foreigner mouth on this issue will result in your death.

In my area there was a thick eye watering smoke on Sunday afternoon (!!!!!) caused by selfish, ignorant and don't give a damn farmers putting the jungles on fire.

the police has a day off and during the week they turn a blind eye.

Where are you Prajuth? Too busy with the bullit train?

POLLUTION

Health fears in the North as smog spreads

Patinya Srisupamart

The Nation

Annual burnoff causing havoc again

CHIANG MAI: -- POLLUTION LEVEls in the North have reached potentially health-harming levels in some areas due to uncontrolled burns and wild fires, new data has revealed.

The Pollution Control Department revealed yesterday that nine air-quality monitoring stations in northern provinces found that the volume of particulate matter with a maximum diameter of 10 microns (PM10) had risen over the safe level of 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

The highest recorded figure so far is an alarming 254 micrograms in Lampang, while its has also risen above a safe level in Lamphun (214), Phrae (209), Chiang Mai (176) and Tak (130).

The Air Quality Index in the North has also exceeded a safe level. Yesterday the AQI measure at most monitoring stations was over 100. Lampang's air pollution was the worst with an AQI level of 159.

Due to the hazardous levels of air pollution, the Ministry of Health has advised particualrly vulnerable persons such as children, the elderly and the sick to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. But if people are forced to go outside they should wear a mask or cover their face with a wet towel.

The ministry has distributed 140,000 masks in the seven northern provinces.

Chiang Mai has been covered by smog for several days due to a wild fire.

Siriporn Plarak, a Chiang Mai resident, said she had shortened her exercising in a park because if she stayed too long the smog irritated her eyes and made her throat soared.

Siriporn said the pollution was making people sick.

The smog was so thick in parts of the province that the peaks of Doi Suthep and Doi Pui could not be seen from the city. In Chiang Mai, the visibility has been reduced to only three kilometres.

Airport affected

At Chiang Mai International Airport, pilots have been forced to take extra care when taking off and landing.

This is not the first time Chiang Mai residents have gone through this. In March last year Chiang Mai recorded a PM10 level of 243 micrograms.

The air pollution is a chronic problem in the northern region. Every year in the dry season, farmers burn fields to clear land, creating a huge amount of smog and dust while the potential for wild fires is high due to the dry conditions.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Health-fears-in-the-North-as-smog-spreads-30255202.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-03

The PEAKS of Doi Suthep cannot be seen?

HA! The whole flaming mountain is totally obscured.

Visibility with the city is about 1km at best.

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

I also live outside of cm , and I can tell u 100% these hill fires are started for mushroom growth.

I have just been on the Mae Hong song loop and seen fires everywhere, whole mountains in Pai on fire and all started deliberately

Nothing will change the local government do nothing, the police r too busy in the town collecting money from motorbike riders to go and arrest fire starters

Local people just take this as a natural occurrence

You can learn to live with it if u like , but I will leave this city asap

Spontaneous fires, eh? Come take a mountain bike ride with me some day and I can introduce you to them. You can be sure that 100% of the fires are caused by man so they can harvest mushrooms later on.

Chiang Mai has "Urgent" meeting to do the same as last year, and the year before, and the yeat before, and the year before, and the year before, and the yeat before, and the year before...

I guess the urgent meetings for the next 20 years to come have been scheduled already

I am not sure if there is another meeting scheduled to find out how to avoid the problem

OK National News Bureau: hire me to write your English copy:

"The Chiang Mai Governor has reported that officials had reported the cause of the haze in the meeting from the analysis of the satellite images which Satellite images indicates that wildfire occured in the southern districts of the province, according to the Chiang Mai Governor, citing official reports."

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