The air pollution season in the North might be worse this year, as smog has been spotted in several areas and forest fires in Chiang Mai and Lamphun have doubled from last year's level.
Wichai Kitmee, acting director of Protected Areas Regional Office 16, yesterday said the hot and arid conditions would cause a build-up of dry leaves. Mae Cham district alone has 30,000 tonnes of cornhusks, most of which will be disposed of by burning.
Mae Cham, Om Koi, Hot, Chom Thong and Chiang Dao are the smog-prone districts, he said.
Surapol Leelawaroros, head of the office's Forest Fire Division, said 500 wildfires had been reported in Chiang Mai and Lamphun this year, destroying 3,000 rai of land.
This represents a 200-per-cent hike from the same period last year.
Although smog is visible in some areas at certain times of the day, fine-particle dust has increased only slightly and air quality is still within the legal standard, he said.
Chiang Mai Governor Amornphan Nimanan urged the public to stop lighting fires outdoors and instructed officials to be on guard and seriously implement legal measures against violators.
Local soldiers will soon be dispatched to patrol Doi Suthep-Pui National Park until the end of April to watch out for such air polluters.
Mae Hong Son is hosting a campaign promoting community participation in preventing forest fires.
The province is using Bt2.5 million from the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulus budget to hire locals in 79 villages of seven districts from December-May as volunteer forest firefighters.
