Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday that he will submit a plan to solve the PM2.5 fine dust problem as ordered by the Chiang Mai Administrative Court within 90 days.
He said the court requires him and the national environment panel to draft a plan in 90 days following a complaint filed by a network of people in the north. Officials will be invited to discuss the matter and draft the plan as ordered by the court, he said.
Mr Srettha said that since agencies from every sector in the country began tackling the air quality issue, Chiang Mai has been satisfied with progress. "Various agencies are supporting each other to tackle the dust problem," he said. "We have done our best, and the PM2.5 fine dust level fell by four to five times."
Chai Wacharonke, a spokesman for the government, said the fine dust level in tambon Chang Phueak of Chiang Mai's Muang district measured 16.7 microgrammes per cubic metre on Sunday, a significant decline when compared with the Jan 21, 2020, average of 53µg/m³.
"[The decline] follows the vision and determination of the premier, who wants people to breathe clean air -- a basic right everyone should have," Mr Chai said. "The government has taken action on air pollution matters."
According to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, the satellite-based Check Foon app, which updates hourly, on Sunday showed fine dust levels had surpassed the safe threshold of 50µg/m³ in at least seven provinces.
The highest levels were reported in Sing Buri at 94.7µg/m³, followed by Ang Thong with 94.4µg/m³, Samut Songkhram with 86.1µg/m³, Sa Kaeo with 80.6µg/m³, Lop Buri with 76.9µg/m³, Samut Sakhon with 75.6µg/m³ and Chai Nat with 75.5µg/m³.
In Bangkok, the dust levels were found to have surpassed the safe threshold 50µg/m³ in 45 districts, with Nong Khaem peaking at 77.2µg/m³.
Deputy Prime Minister Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan has instructed the Pollution Control Department officials to work with state agencies to beef up checks on black smoke emissions, a persistent problem on roads in particular, to reduce air pollution in the capital and its adjacent provinces.