Haze looms, action lags
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Haze looms, action lags

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The PM2.5 situation in Bangkok has worsened over the past week, and needless to say, the city's residents have become increasingly exasperated.

The public's discontent has run high enough to prompt Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt to hold a press briefing on Sunday to explain why PM2.5 levels keep surging despite his anti-haze measures, such as banning some large lorries from entering the city's inner area.

His campaign has hardly made any impact. Even worse, the public still sees large lorries entering banned areas.

"Let me tell you that I am dying to arrest polluting trucks. But the Bangkok governor does not have any legal authority to do much," he said in his online live press conference.

As the governor, he says, his hands are tied by legal hierarchy and bureaucratic silo culture. He cannot arrest polluting trucks because it is the legal duty of policemen and the Ministry of Transport.

Meanwhile, Mr Chadchart cannot close polluting factories because that authority belongs to the Ministry of Industry.

While his explanation of legal hierarchy and silo culture rings true, Mr Chadchart did not discuss solutions to overcome the bureaucratic silo culture.

But he did some five years ago before his current role. Mr Chadchart wrote via Facebook on Jan 11, 2020, about the same legal hierarchy and bureaucratic silo culture that obstruct the Bangkok governor's efforts to serve the public.

In that Facebook post, Mr Chadchart offered a solution to give the Bangkok governor more legal power. "Indeed, the Bangkok governor can evoke the 2007 Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act that will put legal power into provincial governors' hands to take charge of pollution management," he wrote.

This law would empower provincial governors to order factories to close or deal with polluting cars without waiting for law enforcers from other ministries.

In that Facebook post, Mr Chadchart supported then Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang and the Prayut government to overcome the PM2.5 issue.

"Do not just plan and leave it ning (idle). Do not forget, people cannot stop breathing," he wrote.

This week, his old Facebook post was brought back to light and reposted on social media and news programmes.

Meanwhile, experts say there are few things the Bangkok governor can do.

For example, respected environmental expert Sonthi Kotchawat advises the governor to use the latest amended 2017 Public Health Act to announce Bangkok as an area with public nuisance and serious health impacts.

This evoked law would allow the governor to regulate activities affecting public health or order activities such as schools to close or regulate pollution activities such as lighting joss sticks at the shrines.

Mr Sonthi also says the governor can deal with other polluting sources by inspecting constriction sites and ordering them to close if they do not have proper air pollution mitigation.

Mr Chadchart has been aware of the bureaucratic problems that affect addressing the haze problem for years and has ideas for tackling it. The question is: When will he apply this move and do what needs to be done? Do not forget. People cannot stop breathing, so do not just plan and let it ning (become idle).

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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