Air unsafe in five northern province: Haze now clearing in most areas

[Khun Don]

Don't go outside, northerners told
The Nation February 28, 2012 1:00 am

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Residents of provinces in the North badly hit by smog were warned yesterday against going outdoors.

"Don't go out if you can't see the power pole in your neighbourhood during the day. That's a sign that the amount of small dust particles in the air has reached a dangerous level," said Dr Pornthep Siriwanarangsan, head of the Disease Control Department.

His comment is based on data that power poles are usually 40 metres apart. If one is unable to see nearby power poles, it means the amount of small dust particles or PM10 has soared above 200 micrograms per cubic metres of air.

"That amount is really harmful to health," he said. Safe limits require that the amount of PM10 be no higher than 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

Pornthep said when the air pollution gets that bad, people should stay inside and close the doors/windows of their houses.

He said research conducted in the US had shown that death rates increased to one for every 100,000 people when the PM10 particles reached 210 micrograms. The number of patients with smog-related health problems has soared since serious smog problems hit Lamphun and Phayao.

Pornthep said people should wear masks and glasses if they have to go out amid the smog.

"The smog problem is more serious than last year," he said.

Eight northern provinces have seen the amount of PM10 dust particles soar above safe limits. Chiang Rai has seen the worst.

Pornthep urged village health volunteers to help prevent locals from lighting fires to burn garbage or "clear" farmland.

"More fires will mean worsening smog problems," he said.

Nan public-health chief Dr Pisit Sriprasert said people should not rub their eyes with their hands if they feel eye irritation because of the smog.

"Use wet fabric on your eyes. But if the conditions are serious, please immediately visit doctors," he said.

Pollution Control Department (PCD) director-general Wicharn Simachaya, meanwhile, said forest fires that caused harmful haze in the North were mainly in neighbouring countries.

"It is very difficult to control smog in neighbouring countries," he said, adding that the number of forest-fire hotspots in Thailand had declined over the past week.

To reduce haze caused by forest fires in areas around Thailand, Wicharn said he would attend a meeting with Greater Mekong Subregion countries such as Laos, Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam to seek a resolution to control trans-boundary haze.

"I hope that these countries will cooperate with us to reduce haze."

He claimed it was very difficult for government officials to prevent people from lighting farms to burn garbage and clear farmland.

"The only thing that we can do now is ask people to give us cooperation from local people to keep their villages free from slashing and burning," he said.

[Betti]

how realistic is "don't go out" for most of us, for heaven's sake??

[Khun Don]

Makes for a dramatic headline ! (Only)

[Khun Don]

Artificial rain helps ease haze
The Nation February 29, 2012 3:57 pm

The first day of a new round of artificial rainmaking that began on Monday is helping ease the haze problem in the northern provinces, with dust particle levels exceeding the safety standard reported in only three provinces.

The Northern Rain Making Operation Centre met Tuesday, the second day of the cloud-seeding process.

Centre director Song Klinprathum said the relative humidity is not adequate for rainmaking now. Its aircraft spread urea to seed clouds and increase humidity at a height of 9,000 feet.

Monday's operation reduced the density of dust particles in Chiang Mai to 60 micrograms per cubic metre, measured at Chiang Mai city hall.

Particulate matter in other northern provinces also dropped and the over-safety-standard level of dust particles is being reported only in three provinces --Chiang Rai, Phayao and Lampang .

The Pollution Control Department reported that the dust particle level on Tuesday was between 45-278.8 micrograms per cubic metre.

Overall air quality is ranging from moderate to high, posing health risks. Despite the drop in the level of dust particles, widespread forest fires in Thailand's North and in neighbouring Laos and Burma are a major obstacle to tackling the haze problem.

From Jan 1-Feb 18, nearly 11,600 Mae Hong Son residents sought medical treatment due to haze-related illnesses, with main complaints related to the respiratory system, the skin and the eyes, said Dr Paisan Thanyawinichkul, Provincial Public Health Office chief.

Responding to the health problem, the Mae Hong Son Public Health Office delivered 40,000 masks to health centres in seven districts for distribution to residents.

Although the level of the dust particles in the province reduced to 159.9 microgram/cubic metre on Monday, it still exceeded the safety limit, Dr Paisan explained.

[Khun Don]

Haze causes big drop in visitors to Chiang Rai
The Nation February 29, 2012 4:05 pm

The haze problem in the northern provinces has reduced tourist numbers to Chiang Rai by more than 20 per cent and is likely result in a continuing downward trend if the problem persists, according to Chiang Rai Tourism Council president Somkiat Chuentheerawong.

Provincial workers have been spraying water into the air in several locations throughout the province to reduce dust particle levels and the situation appears to be improving. Particulate levels, earlier showing the highest concentration in the region at almost 300 micrograms per cubic metre had dropped and the distinctive odour of burnt forests and fields was fading, but grey smog was still lingering.

Somkiat said the impact of the haze, caused by seasonal forest and farmland fires, had started to affect the tourism business in the province, with the number of visitors falling by more than 20 per cent compared with the same period last year. The number is expected to decline even further if the situation does not improve soon.

He urged Chiang Rai farmers to stop preparing their fields for the new round of crops by burning off last year's ground cover and not to undertake any other open air burning activities. The authorities have been asked to take strict measures against violators.

[Khun Don]

He urged Chiang Rai farmers to stop preparing their fields for the new round of crops by burning off last year's ground cover and not to undertake any other open air burning activities. The authorities have been asked to take strict measures against violators.

And when that totally fails, blame the problem wholly on Burma, like last year, and the year before that and the year before that...........

[Khun Don]

Myanmar bushfires spread into the North
Published: 1/03/2012 at 02:02 AMNewspaper section: News

Bushfires in Myanmar have fanned out into Thailand, spreading into parts of the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Tak and raising concerns over rising haze in the northern provinces.

Thailand's forest fire control centre has mobilised officials to stop the fires from spreading further after hundreds of rai of forest area in the Thung Yai Naresuan compound reportedly caught fire.

Authorities, including border patrol police, were told to stay alert around the clock to prevent any severe damage to the national World Heritage forest, which covers pristine areas in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Tak and Kanchanaburi and in adjacent Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani.

Tak governor Suriya Prasatbandit has also asked Myawaddy, a border town opposite Tak, to help curb the fire after Myanmar officials earlier reportedly failed to control it.

The forest fire, which erupted in a teak forest, is believed to have resulted from Myanmar farmers burning stumps of rice and corn near the forest, and poachers who set fires in the forest to hunt animals.

The fire spewed out huge amounts of smoke covering wide areas including Tak's Umphang district, where part of the Thung Yai Naresuan is situated.

The smoke is adding to the ongoing haze in the North where particle levels are still beyond safety limits in many provinces.

The haze, made up of particulate matters less than 10 micrometres (PM10) in diameter, come mainly from weed burning and bushfires.

Chiang Rai is still reporting the highest level of PM10 with 213 microgrammes per cubic metre, recorded yesterday, above the acceptable standard of 120ug/cu/m, the Pollution Control Department said.

Other provinces with harmful levels of PM10 are Phayao, parts of Lampang, Phrae and Nan.

Phayao, where fine dust hit 191.08ug/cu/m, is also facing deforestation as wildlife officials found trees on about 100 rai of land in the Mae Yom forest reserve, which is the watershed for the Yom River, had been cut and burned.

BANGKOK POST

[bristolgeoff]

always the same problem each year,it was worse a few years back.so not to bad this year

[paul_au]

Just wait until every one in China and India can afford a car and the wind is blowing in the direction of Thailand.

[Mahindrasarath]

Just wait until every one in China and India can afford a car and the wind is blowing in the direction of Thailand.

That's y my father inlaw refused to buy aUS$ 50.000 Camry instead to bought land for fields and ride an oxcart.