Bad air in South easing, but warnings remain
Air quality in the South is improving after continuing smog from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and fires in a peat swamp forest in Nakhon Si Thammarat worsened conditions last week.
Reports said yesterday the amount of small dust particles or PM10 in Narathiwat, Yala, Satun and Songkhla had diminished and people’s health is no longer being affected.
The Environment Office Region 16 at Songkhla said information from the NOAA-18 satellite showed the number of spot fires on Sumatra had reduced from 239 to 163.
The amount of PM10 in Songkhla’s Hat Yai decreased from 135 micrograms per cubic metre – which exceeded the safety standard by 95 micrograms per cubic metre – yesterday, returning air quality to a safe level.
Downpours in Hat Yai, Na Mom, Chana and Sadao districts in Songkhla on Sunday helped lessen the smog’s volume.
Although, air quality in the southern provinces is now considered acceptable, the Public Health Ministry warned residents of the four provinces, and also in Phuket, that have been blanketed by the smog to temporarily stop exercising outdoors. Children, elderly people and patients with allergies, heart disease and asthma should be particularly careful. If they needed to go outdoors, the ministry urged them to wear clinical masks or cover noses and mouths with slightly wet cloths.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said the ministry had delivered 50,000 clinical masks to the five provinces. Each was given 10,000 masks to hand out to their residents.
He said 50,000 other spare clinical masks were kept at the Office of Disease Prevention and Control 12 Songkhla for more requests. The ministry had ordered its medical facilities at all levels to provide treatment around the clock.
Anybody suffering breathing difficulty and chest pain should see a doctor.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, Governor Wiroj Jiwarangsan planned to declare a forest fire disaster zone in Cha-uat district after a meeting with agencies to find out how to put out fires in the Khuan Khreng peat swamp forest.
Previously, Cha-uat district was declared a drought disaster zone.
Following the disaster zone declarations, authorities will provide compensation for farmers whose palm and rubber plantations have been damaged in the fires.
Large water pumps have been brought from Songkhla and Surat Thani to put out the fires.
