Two rainmaking units will be deployed to combat worsening smog in six northern and northeastern provinces from Sunday to Friday.
Several areas in Khon Kaen were blanketed with smog on Saturday, with toxic dust levels rising to 94 microgrammes per cubic metre of air, exceeding the safety standard of 50 µg/m³, said Surasee Kittimonthon, director-general of the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department.
The Pollution Control Department measured hazardous PM2.5 particulate in the air in Phrae at 79 µg/m³ on Saturday. Toxic dust levels were also reported to be rising in Nan.
Authorities in Khon Kaen said burning of sugarcane fields by farmers looking to speed up harvests was the main cause of dirty air in the province.
Mr Surasee said his department has been closely monitoring the air quality in affected areas in the North and the Northeast and found that the conditions would be suitable for rainmaking operations from Sunday to Friday.
The department has set up two rapid-deployment rainmaking operation units — one in Khon Kaen and the other in Phitsanulok — to conduct rainmaking operations in Khon Kaen, Loei, Lamphang, Phrae, Tak and Nakhon Sawan, said Mr Surasee.
Khon Kaen governor Somsak Jangtrakul said dust reduction operations in the northeastern province were continuing on Saturday for a third day, with workers spraying water from high-rise buildings.
“Provincial authorities have sought cooperation from both the public and private sectors, particularly owners of hotels and condominiums and high-rise buildings, to install sprinklers or facilitate officials to spray water,” he said.
Officials spray water from a building in downtown Khon Kaen to reduce dust. (Photo by Chakrapan Natanri)