Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has scheduled an urgent meeting today with the governors of provinces, including Bangkok, which are affected by PM2.5 airborne pollution caused by exhaust emissions and the outdoor burning of farm waste.
According to the Geo-Informatics Space Technology and Development Agency (GISTDA), which has been monitoring air pollution by satellite on an hourly basis, 23 provinces in the eastern, northeastern and central regions are suffering with unhealthy levels of PM2.5 today.
In Bangkok, air quality has improved today, with PM2.5 being measured as only being unhealthy for sensitive groups in 38 out of 50 districts. No district is in the unhealthy for all category today, according to the Air Quality Information Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The average PM2.5 level in Bangkok is 41µg/m³, which still exceeds the 37.5µg/m³ safe level.
The most polluted districts today are:
1. Nong Chok, 51.8µg/m³
2. Bueng Kum, 51.0µg/m³
3. Lak Si, 50.0µg/m³
4. Wang Thong Lang, 49.5µg/m³
5. Bang Khae, 49.5µg/m³
The Royal Thai Air Force said it had set aside two BT-62 aircraft, from airbases in Phitsanuloke and Hua Hin, to work with the Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department in cloud-seeding operations from January 26th to 30th, in an attempt to reduce PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere.
Pasakorn Boonyalak, director-general of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said that, in coordination with provincial governors, they have tightened up the monitoring and control of farm waste burning. He said that violators will be dealt with harshly.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai noted that PM2.5 dust has become a regional problem, affecting many countries in Southeast Asia, adding that the issue will be addressed at the forthcoming meeting of ASEAN defence ministers.
