Chiang Mai Governor Nirat Pongsitthithavorn is leading the charge against the annual curse of PM2.5 pollution caused by the burning of agricultural residue.
In a teleconference with the province’s 25 district chiefs, he laid down strict instructions to tackle the issue head-on.
The provincial administration has already taken a decisive step by banning unauthorised burning of farm waste from January 1 to April 30. Farmers must now obtain approval from the district office before resorting to burning, and a cutting-edge app named FireD will be used to monitor and report the process.
Governor Nirat is not merely relying on restrictions, he has tasked the district chiefs with exploring alternatives to burning. Farmers are being encouraged to adopt more eco-friendly practices, such as ploughing and burying residue or selling it to energy recycling plants….
