Smog in South worsens
The smog in the South triggered by the Indonesian forest fires worsened yesterday, with several provinces reporting that levels of particulate matter of up to 10 microns in size (PM-10) had gone beyond the safe limit of 120 micrograms per cubic metre.
As of 3pm yesterday, the PM-10 level in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district stood at 361mcg per cubic metre.
Environment Region 16 Office director Halem Jehmarikan said that PM10 levels in Songkhla, Yala, Satun and Pattani provinces yesterday afternoon stood at 235, 150, 192 and 155mcg respectively. The level of dust in the air during normal periods stands at below 50mcg.
The Pollution Control Department said its office in Songkhla would monitor the situation closely and that people could follow updates via www.air4thai.pcd.go.th or the “Air4Thai” app. They will also inform the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta and the Indonesian government about the smog impact in Thailand and call for Indonesia to tackle the problem urgently, the department said.
Visibility at Muang Yala Municipality was under 100 metres yesterday and people were prompted to wear facemasks.
