The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has responded to the Prime Minister’s policy on tackling the ongoing air pollution issue.
Chai Wacharonke, Government Spokesperson, stated that the BMA is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to provide farmers with special microbes. These microbes have a unique formula that can accelerate the composting of biomass from 30 days to just 7 days. This initiative aims to reduce the amount of rice straw that needs to be burned by farmers.
Moreover, the BMA, in partnership with 15 car manufacturers and engine oil distributors, has organized the ‘This Car Reduces Dust’ campaign. The initiative encourages Bangkok motorists to change their engine oil and air filters regularly. The campaign is expected to not only reduce PM2.5 dust particles but also prolong vehicles in the long run.
Citing data from the project, the spokesperson mentioned that as of January 9th, nearly 41,500 cars have participated in the program, contributing to a 2% reduction in PM2.5 particulate matter. The project aims to change the air filters of 300,000 cars to reduce PM2.5 emissions from traffic by about 15%.
In addition, the public is urged to check air quality information before leaving their homes through the AirBKK mobile application or the website “airbkk.com.” (NNT)
