Northern provinces hit by haze

CHIANG RAI, March 8 (TNA) -- Water trucks were deployed to spray water in bids to cope with smoke haze in the North. Eight trucks each with a carrying capacity of 10,000 litres of water were used for the purpose to help local residents in Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae and Nan provinces. The trucks were deployed together with mobile water pumps and water jetting machines. The levels of particulate matters in the air have not breached a safe level in the northern provinces yet. In Chiang Mai province, drought prompted a large number of sparrows to eat paddy in Ban Fa Mui village of San Sai district. The birds swarmed in paddy fields when harvest is approaching as they lack natural sources of food and water due to drought. In Bueng Kan province, local residents must wear face masks to protect themselves from smoke haze. The weather condition reduced visibility in the Mekong River to only 300 metres and obstructed the navigation of passenger and cargo ferries shutting between Thailand and Laos. Fishermen stopped fishing there. (TNA)