Nationwide campaign on Feb 3 to highlight hazards of burning activities

The National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Committee (NDPMC) will launch a burning-ban campaign next week to tackle burning activities and forest fires, as Bangkok is among 48 provinces with poor air quality as of Friday.

Citing data from the Pollution Control Department (PCD), committee adviser Jirayu Huangsap explained that the air quality in 48 provinces in the North, Northeast and Central reached unsafe levels as of 7am on Friday, including Bangkok and surrounding areas.

Trat had the highest PM2.5 level at 71.8 micrograms per cubic metre, well above the country’s standard of 37.5 mcg, he explained, adding that air pollution is expected to persist until February 5.

As many as 529 hotspots were found in Thailand and more than 1,000 hotspots were found in nearby countries, he added.“The NDPMC should put efforts to tackle these issues in line with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s policy to reduce sources of pollution and mitigate its impact on people’s health,” he said.

Jirayu noted that provincial agencies had imposed strict measures to tackle burning activities and forest fires. Two sugar factories had been closed for burning activities in Udon Thani and Lopburi provinces, he said.

The committee has ordered all provinces to kick off a burning-ban campaign at 10am on February 3, aiming to boost awareness among people on avoiding burning activities, he said.

The PCD has collaborated with the Traffic Police Division and Department of Land Transport in strictly screening vehicles that emit smoke in Bangkok and surrounding areas.PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing health risks such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Major sources of PM2.5 include traffic emissions, factories, forest fires and burning of harvest leftovers.

(2025/01/31-00:00)