Three villages in Mueang and Hang Dong districts of Chiang Mai have been declared disaster zones by the provincial administration, as people in the northern capital are being choked by PM2.5 dust, the level of which is many times higher than Thailand’s safety level of 50-microns in many areas.
Deputy Governor Chatchawarl Panya, acting on behalf of the governor, issued an announcement on Friday declaring Village 7 in Bang Pong sub-district of Hang Don district, Village 3 in Mae Hia sub-district and Village 12 in Suthep sub-district of Mueang district to be disaster zones.
According to the Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act, the government and local government agencies and relevant parts of the private sector will now step in to provide help to the residents of the three villages within three months.
Chiang Mai is shrouded in PM2.5 dust again today (Saturday), especially in Mueang Na sub-district of Chiang Dao district, where PM2.5 was measured at 341 microns at 10am this morning.
The Geo-Informatics Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) reported 508 hotspots in Chiang Mai yesterday, followed by 379 hotspots in Mae Hong Son and 335 in Chiang Rai.
In Chiang Mai at 10am today, high PM2.5 levels were reported in Si Phum sub-district (197 microns), Chang Phuek sub-district (196 microns), Suthep sub-district (182 microns) and Mueang Na sub-district in Chiang Dao district (341 microns).
