PUBLISHED: 8 Apr 2024 at 04: 39
As wildfires continue to rage in the area, the local expert in Chiang Mai on Sunday added three more regions to its list of hazard areas.
The Fang and Phrao regions, which were declared crisis sections on April 4, are now covered by the news, as well as Chiang Dao, Mae Taeng, and Chai Prakarn.
The provincial government, Nirat Pongsitthavorn, claimed the most recent announcement was made because it was difficult to contain the fires because the first firefighters and troops were now exhausted.
He claimed that Chiang Mai today requires more firefighters, and that using their own funds to battle the fires will be made possible by declaring more disaster zones.
The government claimed that there are no rules in the Ministry of Finance that would allow for the release of funds for this purpose, making Chiang Mai not to be designated as an emergency aid area for those affected by the wildfires.
According to a report released on Sunday by the Pollution Control Department’s Center for Air Pollution Mitigation, PM2.5 levels in 36 North American provinces, including Chiang Mai, exceeded the acceptable level of 37.5 microgrammes per cubic meter ( g/m3 ).
The Geo- Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency ( Gistda ) highlighted nine provinces with levels between 78.9 and 126.1 µg/m³. Chiang Mai ranked the worst at 126.1 µg/m³, followed by Chiang Rai ( 113.3 µg/m³ ), Phayao ( 108 µg/m³ ), Nan ( 104.5 µg/m³ ) and Mae Hong Son ( 104 µg/m³ ).
Once again, IQAir rated Chiang Mai as having the world’s worst air when the level reached 190 µg/m ³ at 2.10pm
Gistda even reported 1, 279 warm places in the North, including 100 in grain and meadows.
Dr Piamlap Saengsayan, mind of the respiratory medication section of the Central Chest Institute of Thailand, told the media on Sunday , that there is no clear proof that PM2.5 is a major cause of lung cancer.
But, studies have shown that prolonged exposure to high amounts of pollutants can lead to cancer in any body part.
The human body normally responds to PM2.5 debris by creating free radical that react with tissues, resulting in infection, and it is this process that leads to cancer, said Dr Piamlap.