The Pollution Control Department has announced the onset of the dust season and issued a warning for the lower northern and metropolitan areas, urging vigilance from January 5 to 12.
Capt. Rachata Phisitbanakorn, Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, along with Ms. Preeyaporn Suwannakes, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, declared the commencement of the dust season. They called for all relevant agencies to strengthen control measures and monitor the sources of dust generation.
The designated target areas include 11 conservation forests, 10 reserved forests, areas, agricultural areas with repeated burning, and the control of airborne dust within urban areas.
A communication and problem-solving center for air pollution has been established, along with provincial-level operation centers and forest fire suppression operation centers. This center will provide updates on the dust situation and advise the public on preventive actions.
Sources of dust such as burning in forest areas, rice fields, sugarcane plantations, and cornfields, will be highlighted to curb and prevent the origins of dust, with strict enforcement of relevant laws.
The director-general emphasized the need for heightened vigilance regarding the dust situation in Bangkok, its surrounding provinces and the lower northern region from January 5 to 12 due to the relatively low air dispersion rates.
It is necessary to monitor black smoke from diesel vehicles, dust from construction sites, and emissions from industrial factories. The forecast anticipates the most severe dust conditions in February. -819 (TNA)
