CHIANG RAI – The Royal Thai Air Force is planning to release water over the densely populated urban areas of Chiang rai to help clear away the thick haze and dust in the air and alleviate the haze problem.

Each flight can carry about 3,000 liters of water to cover an area of about one rai of land. Clean water will be used so that it would not be harmful to the people’s health and other living things.

Meanwhile, The Pollution Control Department reported on the air quality in provincial seat of Chiang Rai with the PM10 value of 216 micrograms per cubic meter and the air quality in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai, with the PM10 value of 305 micrograms per cubic meter which are considered unhealthy.

The PCD Director-General Wijarn Simachaya has revealed that areas in the Northern region of Thailand were partially affected by the accumulated haze from burning activities in the neighbouring countries, blown into Thailand through the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, and Phayao.

He has said the PCD will be reaching out through dialogue with ambassadors, asking for border area cooperation to urgently regulate the burning activities to help mitigate the issue.

The PCD director-general has stressed all provinces will be enforcing the prohibition of all burning activities to prevent further accumulation of air pollution, along with mitigation measures such as spraying water vapour to bring down airborne particle, distribution of masks, and the provision of medical services to the general public to provide guidance of proper practices amidst an intensifying haze condition.

By Tanakorn Sangiam, Supawadee Wangsri