ID :
361524
Sat, 03/28/2015 - 09:36
Auther :

Smog in North improves after heavy rains

CHIANG MAI, March 28 (TNA) - Haze and smoke covering the skies in the North have lessened considerably following heavy downpours earlier this week, said Jongklai Worapongthorn, director of Natural Resources and Environment office in Chiang Mai. The situation has improved as smoke resulted from burning trees and leaves by agriculturists has lessened but concerned officials will still have to closely monitor until April 15, said Mr. Jongklai. Officials have detected as many as 1,483 hot spots in the province between February 15 – March 27, he said . Most of them are found in Chiang Mai’s Omkoi and Mae Chaem districts, indicating that thick haze and dust could return. By Saturday, concerned officials had extinguished bush fire 932 times and over 9,632 rai (about 3,852 acres) of forest area was damaged. Most of the damaged areas were in either conserved or reserved forest, Mr. Jongklai said. Up till now, dust particles in Chiang Mai stood at highest record level this year on March 17 when they stood at 299 microgrammes per cubic metre, exceeding the safety standard at 120 microgrammes per cubic metre, he added. (TNA)

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