CHIANG MAI, Feb 17 – Haze pollution covering parts of Thailand's northern provinces is worrisome, with the particulate dust particle level rising over the safety standard with airports needing to turn on runways light to increase visibility for aircraft taking off and landing.

Supeera Laddachayaporn, head of the local environmental quality surveillance unit in Lampang, said that smog in the province is the more concern than other provinces in the region. Thick haze has blanketed the province for three days, contributing to the level of dust particles rising over the safety standard.

This year, the problem occurred sooner than in any other year, as it normally emerges around March. Outdoor burning in farming areas and roadside grassland has aggravated the haze pollution.

The Pollution Control Department’s air quality monitoring station reported tiny dust particles at 235.33 micrograms per cubic metre at the station near Lampang’s city pillar shrine and 211.30 micrograms per cubic metre at a public health centre in Mae Mo district.

In Phrae, the level is as high as 218.08, second to Lampang.

At Lampang Airport visibility was reduced to 1,000 metres. A 70-seat Bangkok Airways aircraft spent 40 minutes to land and the aviation control tower was forced to turn on the runway lights to increase visibility for pilots.

Chiang Mai International Airport applied the same measure due to poor visibility.

Chiang Mai Governor Panadda Diskul said that the problem of thick haze and forest fire has worsened. At noon on Thursday, the level of small dust particles was higher than the safety standard at 120 microns to 185.27 micrograms per cubic metre.

Although it dropped slightly on Friday to 162  micrograms per cubic metre, it is still above the standard limit and tended to rise further. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is over the safety standard for several days, posing a health threat to local residents, children, the elderly and hospitalised patients in particular, who were advised to avoid outdoor activities.

Low air quality was not only caused by forest burning but also by congested traffic and the dropping ozone level.  The haze pollution also occurred in nearby provinces of Lampang, Phayao and Phrae.  (MCOT online news)

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