Haze pollution is exceeding safe levels in 36 provinces, particularly in the North, while Bangkok and surrounding provinces will remain blanketed in smog for two more days.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said on Monday that dust particles (PM2.5) have been at critical levels in the North and the Northeast for the past week, as a result of slash-and-burn activities in forests and farms with more than 2,500 hotspots found on both sides of the border.
Officials are struggling to control the fires, the Ministry said, adding that the Asean Secretariat had alerted the bloc’s members of the hotspots in their countries, to help deal with the problem.
Satellite images showed 6,701 hotspots in Myanmar, 2,583 in Thailand, 2,125 in Cambodia, 1,434 in Laos, 147 in Vietnam, and two in Malaysia on Saturday.
The Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation on Monday announced the closure of 38 national parks to prevent fires.
Checkpoints inspected 109,696 vehicles in Bangkok in the six months between October last year and Feb 28.
Of them, a total of 23,707 were releasing exhaust fumes that breached regulations on toxicity.
PM2.5 pollution exceeded safe levels in 36 provinces on Monday, with levels up to 132μg/m³ in most areas in the North. – Bangkok Post
