Bangkok city council is focused on car and industrial plant emissions to reduce air pollution this winter. The city will issue 7-day air quality predictions so homeowners may take precautions.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has pledged to take severe action to reduce the air pollution generated by emissions from cars, factories, and farms in order to lessen the haze calamity that occurs every year around this time.
The city hosted a task force meeting today to discuss ways to reduce and eliminate haze, with a focus on the accumulation of PM 2.5 dust particles, which can lead to respiratory illness.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has said that the city government will be more vigilant in checking vehicles and the 6,000 enterprises in the city to stop the burning of agricultural waste.
Vehicle inspection reports are due daily from the relevant authorities for the next two months, and municipal officials have been meeting with farmers to brainstorm alternative methods of disposing of agricultural waste.
There are 260 factories on the city’s list that pose serious environmental threats. Inspectors from the City of Chicago’s Department of Industrial Works and the District Offices will collaborate to check on factories around the city.
Farms have reached out to the BMA asking for assistance in sourcing fuel for stubble removal machines and in procuring the machinery required to convert farm biomass into fertilizer. Businesses in the transportation industry have recommended that the city council implement strict inspections on overloaded vehicles, which can increase pollution levels.
The BMA has established a command center at its Din Daeng office to deal with the haze calamity and provide citizens with updates on the air quality. Current air quality forecasts from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) go out as far as 7 days, while the accuracy rate is highest for 3-day forecasts.
When dealing with haze caused by fires and other events outside of Thailand, the Bangkok Governor has declared that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Bangkok Metropolitan Committee would need to collaborate. He also noted the need of working with nearby nations.
He promised stricter enforcement of these policies going forward, including a school-based effort to teach youngsters how to interpret air quality assessments marked with a color scale from blue (good) to green (satisfactory) to yellow (harmful) to orange (extremely unhealthy).
Children will have areas to go in their schools where they will be protected if there is an issue with air quality.
