The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has ordered Thap Lan National Park in Prachin Buri to stop the controlled burning of a 600-rai area in the park after facing heavy criticism for creating air pollution.
The department's director-general, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said yesterday that he had reprimanded and ordered the Thap Lan National Park chief to stop the burning because current levels of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns, or PM2.5, were quite critical.
"Even if burning was confined to the park area, it can increase the level of PM2.5 in the central region," he said.
He insisted that controlled burning must be done to prevent uncontrollable forest fires and increase food sources for wild animals. However, it must happen during the right situation, he said.
Thap Lan National Park said the burning was in the Pha Men area, which is grassland in Na Di district. It is situated deep in the Thap Lan National Park, about 10 kilometres from the headquarters, Prawatsat Chanthep, the national park chief said.
He said the grassland is in clumps, covering an area of more than 600 rai. The controlled burning is based on academic principles to prevent uncontrollable forest fires and increase the amount of food for wild animals, especially wild elephants, he said, adding that the fire was set during an appropriate time when there was less dust in the atmosphere, and the air was clear which was 2pm on Wednesday.
Before proceeding with the burning, the head of the Prachin Buri Forest Fire Control Station had received permission via the Burn Check application, he said.
The app, developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, allows farmers and related agencies to request controlled burning.
