Military scrambles to put out fires as burn-offs are banned

[Lite Beer]

Military scrambles to put out fires as burn-offs are banned
THE NATION

CHIANG MAI: -- MORE than 16,000 people in Lampang have undergone treatment for respiratory issues since the smog began affecting the upper North in February, the province's deputy governor said yesterday.

An accumulative number of people sought treatment at hospitals in all 13 Lampang districts, Mongkhol Suksai said.

He said that further measures were being implemented aimed at restoring the province's image as a main tourist attraction in the wake of the smog, caused by annual farm burn-offs.

Army commander General Udomdej Sitabutr said four Army helicopters were being used in an operation that involved extinguishing fires with water.

The announcement of laws outlawing burn-offs in forest areas had been made to residents, he said.

Third Army Area commander Lt-General Sathit Phitrat said operations to combat the problem included extinguishing new hot spots in Mae Hong Son, Nan, Chiang Rai and Phayao. He said two Air Force planes had been used to collect aerial photographs of hot spots and help spread information about the possible legal ramifications of lighting fires.

Sathit said the Air Force had carried out eight daily water-spraying flights since March 6 for a total of 112 flights.

He said there had also been 82 rain-making flights, including eight flights yesterday to Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lampang and Phayao.

A plane involved in that mission skidded off the runway while landing at Chiang Mai airport, resulting in four flights being redirected to Chiang Rai and Phitsanulok.

Chiang Mai airport director Kiattisak Rianwatthana said that the accident was caused by one of the plane's tires exploding.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Military-scrambles-to-put-out-fires-as-burn-offs-a-30256469.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-21

[cloudhopper]

Very proactive. Should have the mission successfully wrapped up in a month, six weeks at the latest I reckon...

[ezzra]

Like it took them dozens of years to realize that the burn off is really burning people's life

up the north, same story year after year and nothing was done....

[NeilSA1]

Like it took them dozens of years to realize that the burn off is really burning people's life

up the north, same story year after year and nothing was done....

Absolutely. Been a problem for too many years.

[philliphn]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

[chiang mai]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Plows are expensive, as is petrol. Most hill farmers have very few modern hand tools let alone any modern mechanical ones. And if you drive around the areas in the mountains where farmers burn, you'll soon realize that most areas are not easily accessible to mechanized equipment.

[worgeordie]

As usual too little,TOO LATE,and it will be the same next year

and the year after and ........

regards Worgeordie

[worgeordie]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Most of the smog is caused by the burning of forests,to aid in the production of mushrooms,

farmers burning the rice stubble also adds to the problem,farmers in the UK used to do the

same thing until it was made illegal AND enforced, now they just plow in in, plus Chiang Mai

is in a valley,add the fumes from the ever increasing cars,trucks, the lack of wind and rain

this time of year,we have to live in a toxic environment,

regards Worgeordie

[NongKhaiKid]

As usual too little,TOO LATE,and it will be the same next year

and the year after and ........

regards Worgeordie

Luckily it's really all Myanmar's fault.

[arthurboy]

Does anyone know if the farmers are contracted to grow produce for the big agribusinesses such as CP? Do the farmers sell to middle men or privately at local markets etc.?

[craigt3365]

It's not just the forests. I drive from Pattaya to Bangkok on a regular basis. I've seen burns completely blanket the highway with visibility reduced to less than 100M. Right near the airport. Coming home at night you can see the fires on both sides of the road all the way to Pattaya.

Near where I live, they just burn empty lots to clear them out. Happens all the time here. Unfortunately.

[puukao]

Dear Thai Farmers,

I just bought some of your mushrooms at Whole Market for $23.53. Tasty. Keep up the great work. Tomorrow I will buy another imac and thank the chinese workers for their 23 1/2 work day.

Isn't globalization great!!

[tigermonkey]

16,000 people! Holy crap!

..and another 37,000 and counting in Chiang Mai

[tigermonkey]

Very proactive. Should have the mission successfully wrapped up in a month, six weeks at the latest I reckon...

I sincerely hope that you are being extremely sarcastic.

[mrjonyoung]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Plows are expensive, as is petrol. Most hill farmers have very few modern hand tools let alone any modern mechanical ones. And if you drive around the areas in the mountains where farmers burn, you'll soon realize that most areas are not easily accessible to mechanized equipment.

It is not possible. The rice is cut long and then thrashed and the remaining stalk is left in a pile, then burned.

The government can NOT stop the burning. I moved from Lampang to Cha-am to escape it after my daughter spent 3 nights in the hospital suffering from a lung infection last year, meanwhile her loving Grandfather is out burning the forest so he can plant more tapioca root crops. He just didn't see the connection between smoke and getting sick. There is no way to stop it. People are doing the burning in remote locations and despite the MooBahn telling everyone that they will be fined and even arrested, no one is willing to turn in their neighbor. This type of problem requires a social education program which I doubt will happen. Sad situation because kids make out the worse. Their much more susceptible to the particulates. The private hospital in Lampang had at least a dozen kids in for related problems.

[tigermonkey]

Does anyone know if the farmers are contracted to grow produce for the big agribusinesses such as CP? Do the farmers sell to middle men or privately at local markets etc.?

I don't know where you are going with this, but I suspect it is similar to the statement of a government official last week. She blamed the people who wanted to eat fresh produce for the problems with burning.

[Pib]

Year after year it's the same story which changes very little....pretty much like the Ground Hog Day movie.

[tigermonkey]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Plows are expensive, as is petrol. Most hill farmers have very few modern hand tools let alone any modern mechanical ones. And if you drive around the areas in the mountains where farmers burn, you'll soon realize that most areas are not easily accessible to mechanized equipment.

It is not possible. The rice is cut long and then thrashed and the remaining stalk is left in a pile, then burned.

The government can NOT stop the burning. I moved from Lampang to Cha-am to escape it after my daughter spent 3 nights in the hospital suffering from a lung infection last year, meanwhile her loving Grandfather is out burning the forest so he can plant more tapioca root crops. He just didn't see the connection between smoke and getting sick. There is no way to stop it. People are doing the burning in remote locations and despite the MooBahn telling everyone that they will be fined and even arrested, no one is willing to turn in their neighbor. This type of problem requires a social education program which I doubt will happen. Sad situation because kids make out the worse. Their much more susceptible to the particulates. The private hospital in Lampang had at least a dozen kids in for related problems.

I agree that the "government can NOT stop the burning". Only the people can do that themselves , and they will only do so if they are educated concerning the problem. Whatever happened to the government education campaign two years - it seemed quite effective with billboards saying "stop the burning" and pamphlets given to almost every home - it had considerable effect in our rural area in Lamphun. Several elderly ladies have taken it upon themselves to go "visit and educate" anyone who starts burning.

I don't know how they do it here, but somehow everything gets ploughed back in. This results in less use of fertilizers and more of insecticides, with an overall slight increase of cost including ploughing.

[tigermonkey]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Most of the smog is caused by the burning of forests,to aid in the production of mushrooms,

farmers burning the rice stubble also adds to the problem,farmers in the UK used to do the

same thing until it was made illegal AND enforced, now they just plow in in, plus Chiang Mai

is in a valley,add the fumes from the ever increasing cars,trucks, the lack of wind and rain

this time of year,we have to live in a toxic environment,

regards Worgeordie

Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Lampang are all in valleys, nestled between mountains. At this time of year, there is neither wind nor rain to disperse the pollution. I suspect, given the topography, that each area also has periods of temperature inversion to compound the problem.

Yes, you are quite right that cars and trucks are "ever increasing". However. please let's not forget that there are no emission standards for either new or old vehicles. Every day we see vehicles belching black smoke, so thick that their brake lights are not visible.I don't believe that the problem is only from burning - far from it..

[oneday]

Well it's about time. That must have been some sleeping pill the government took, but maybe they are awake now. Let's see if they really have the will to enforce it. Next year will be a telling year indeed.

Good luck.

[Thailand]

Massive fines on the landowners, irrespective of who set the fire.That would stop it very quickly.

And there goes another flying pig!

[espinoza]

They should let the owners of the burnt land pay for the air forces cost to extinguish the fires.

[Oziex1]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Plows are expensive, as is petrol. Most hill farmers have very few modern hand tools let alone any modern mechanical ones. And if you drive around the areas in the mountains where farmers burn, you'll soon realize that most areas are not easily accessible to mechanized equipment.

It is not possible. The rice is cut long and then thrashed and the remaining stalk is left in a pile, then burned.

The government can NOT stop the burning. I moved from Lampang to Cha-am to escape it after my daughter spent 3 nights in the hospital suffering from a lung infection last year, meanwhile her loving Grandfather is out burning the forest so he can plant more tapioca root crops. He just didn't see the connection between smoke and getting sick. There is no way to stop it. People are doing the burning in remote locations and despite the MooBahn telling everyone that they will be fined and even arrested, no one is willing to turn in their neighbor. This type of problem requires a social education program which I doubt will happen. Sad situation because kids make out the worse. Their much more susceptible to the particulates. The private hospital in Lampang had at least a dozen kids in for related problems.

Yes education is the key, however not much quality education around here. I have stopped, or at least for a short time the burning of trash in my backyard by the old Mamah. The old girl is champing at the bit to burn things as she says the pile of unburned rubbish looks bad? Unbelievable can she not see the crap everywhere else in the Village including the litter in her own yard. I realised some time ago it is not just about waste disposal there is some OCD going on here.

[davemos]

Well about time .Teach the farmers the benefits of compost no added fertilizer needed etc and perhaps equip the local villages with mulchers which can easily 'digest" the unwanted waste .Great benifits all around .

[Bangkok Barry]

16,000 people! Holy crap!

Yes, and the reason they give for wanting to end it? To improve the image of the area for tourists. Health concerns are completely irrelevant. More Thainess.

[arthurboy]

Does anyone know if the farmers are contracted to grow produce for the big agribusinesses such as CP? Do the farmers sell to middle men or privately at local markets etc.?

I don't know where you are going with this, but I suspect it is similar to the statement of a government official last week. She blamed the people who wanted to eat fresh produce for the problems with burning.

I wonder how many farmers are contracted to grow for CP et al and therefore how the haze problem squares with these company's stated corporate social responsibility.

I suspect it doesn't.

[northernphil]

As usual too little,TOO LATE,and it will be the same next year

and the year after and ........

regards Worgeordie

Luckily it's really all Myanmar's fault.

And all the other satelite countries, no fires over here , not allowed.

[kalbo123]

Just in time before we get rain next week....

[marcusd]

same CRAP just another year. I hope their tourism COLLAPSES just like peoples lungs in this rotten pollution

[marcusd]

Why not plow under crops with a plow?

Plows are expensive, as is petrol. Most hill farmers have very few modern hand tools let alone any modern mechanical ones. And if you drive around the areas in the mountains where farmers burn, you'll soon realize that most areas are not easily accessible to mechanized equipment.

I hope you are not making excuses for the burn offs? They grow crops all year round so why only burn at the same time each year? They are bloody stupid that's why