The Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC) has rejected a proposal to allocate 219 million baht for the installation of air conditioners in 1,743 rooms across 429 schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). This budget request was part of the BMA’s 90-billion-baht expenditure budget bill for the fiscal year 2024, starting on October 1.
The project aimed to provide air conditioning to protect preschool children aged one to six from hazardous ultra-fine PM2.5 dust pollution in the city, as highlighted by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. The World Health Organization had previously warned about the health risks posed by PM2.5 haze, particularly to young children.
Before unanimously rejecting the project, the BMC raised concerns about the health implications of keeping children in air-conditioned environments for most of the school day. There were also safety concerns about installing air conditioners in older buildings at BMA-run schools that might require maintenance.
The council also worried about the potential financial burden on the BMA due to increased electricity bills from operating air conditioners at schools. To address these concerns, the BMC suggested that the BMA incorporate solar-cell panels at the schools to offset power costs.
Chadchart expressed his agreement with the BMC’s suggestions and committed to including solar panels in the air-conditioning project when resubmitting it for consideration. He also made clear the importance of providing air-conditioned classrooms for all children to protect them from the city’s dust pollution. (NNT)
