pOfficials at Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Ministry have said they will lobby the government at a cabinet meeting this week for immediate funds to deal with the urgent dust pollution affecting areas in the country’s north due that has been caused by fires. /p
pThe ministry’s permanent secretary, Saksit Tridech, noted that levels of micro-dust in the air dangerously exceeded health standards for the month of February, in many northern areas./p
pHighest contamination levels were recorded in Lampang, Chiang Rai, a href=”http://1stopthailand.com/chiangmai”Chiang Mai/a and Lamphun./p
pAccording to the permanent secretary, air pollution levels in these provinces during February were higher than during the air pollution crisis in 2007. /p
pThe ministry will be asking for 50 million baht in emergency funds for each of the northern provinces that has been blanketed by smoke, the minister said./p
pPart of the funds will be used to hire 3,600 unemployed university graduates and residents of the areas affected by the dust pollution, to help in controlling forest fires and inspecting the area./p
pAn additional 2,000 local residents would be hired to act as fire fighters./p