Prolonged haze
Thai leader Prayut Chan-o-cha flies to Chiang Mai to have a first-hand look at air pollution in the north. >23
Bangkok: The air hanging over Thailand’s far north has become so polluted, the prime minister went to see in person what’s been called a severe health crisis.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha arrived by helicopter at an army base in Chiang Mai, a city that’s a popular tourist destination where seasonal haze has been unusually bad and prolonged this year.
Usually the pollution has been blamed on the burning of forests in neighbouring Myanmar. Adding to the problem this year are wildfires caused by a drier-than-usual dry season as well as Thai farmers and hunters clearing land.
Prayut handed out firefighting supplies like hoes and told local military personnel and firefighters that he travelled to Chiang Mai because he wanted to show his support.
Standard measurements of Chiang Mai’s air quality have soared way in the danger zone and remained there for many weeks.
One such measurement, PM2.5, refers to airborne fine particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter that are small enough to be sucked deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. High PM2.5 levels indicate pollution that is severe enough to cause respiratory problems and that over time may raise risks of cardiovascular disease and cancers.
Thailand’s official safety limit is 50 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air, higher than that suggested by the United Nations.
In recent weeks in the north, the levels have regularly been reaching four to six times the Thai safety limit, and in one case peaked at 700 mcg.
Khuanchai Supparatpinyo, director of the Research Institute of Health Sciences at Chiang Mai University, said that Chiang Mai province had for over a decade endured an annual phenomenon its locals dub “dust season”.
The city, popular with tourists, is especially vulnerable because it is surrounded by mountains that trap the pollution.
The smog that usually hits from February to March accumulates due to Chiang Mai city’s vehicular traffic, agricultural burning and forest fires.
Khuanchai said in recent years, “dust season” could last up to five months due to worsening conditions such as drier air and industrial farming. — AP