Critical haze remains in Thai North

BANGKOK, Febaruy 28 (TNA) - Haze has not been relieved in the Thai North although rainmaking started Monday. The thick haze has been blanketing the heart of Chiang Mai province even though rainmaking started in Mae Chaem, Jom Thong, and Kalayani Vadhana districts, as well as in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province, as the February 27 rainmaking operations raised relative humidity to only 40 per cent, being insufficient to cause downpours. Particulates measuring below 10 microns have remained at 167 micrograms per cubic meter of air in the northern Thai region, exceeding the safety standard level of 120 micrograms per cubic meter. The official rainmaking mission is to be, thus, repeated Tuesday afternoon. The dust particles have also exceeded the safety standard level in Lamphun province, prompting the provincial governor to ask local people to stop burning garbage and weed and to totally ban outdoor manmade fires in all eight districts with violators to be legally punished. In Phayao province, a caravan of some 20 water trucks has been released to spray water to reduce haze in four mostly-affected districts. (TNA)