Burn ban ordered in Thai North

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, January 19 (TNA) - The government has ordered an 80-day burn ban in nine northern Thai provinces, in an effort to cope with the haze problem, which often occurs in the region annually, during the January-April period. The ban, which will be effective from January 21-April 10, 2013, was announced Satruday after a meeting on haze and wildfire preventions in Chiang Mai Province, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Prodprasop Suraswadi, Interior Minister Jarupong Runagsuwan, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk and governors of the nine northern Thai provinces. Prodprasop said each provincial administration in the Thai North is responsible to oversee the ban in their jurisdiction, while the government’s local agricultural agencies and natural resources and environment are tasked to ensure that there is no burning in agricultural areas and forest areas respectively. Prodprasop said he instructed the provincial governors during the meeting to be extra careful when they carry out the ban order in mountainous regions where hilltribe live, as burning is part of their traditional practice. According to the deputy premier, concerned agencies in each province are also tasked with presenting a weekly report on the number of hotspots, the level of particulate matter, the number of respiratory disease patients and the number of schools shutdown and flight cancelation to the government for evaluation. (TNA)