CHIANG MAI, March 13 (TNA) - Fine dust reached critically hazardous levels in the northern province of Chiang Mai while its governor explained on the cause and solutions.

The serious air pollution resulted in Chiang Mai being ranked the worst air pollution area of the world. The Chiang Mai governor blamed it on field burning in the province and in a neighboring country. He hoped that immediate solutions would relieve the pollution in three days.

Fine dust thickly shrouded the centre of Chiang Mai Wednesday morning. The Pollution Control Department reported most areas in downtown Chiang Mai were blanketed with unhealthy levels of fine dust in the past 24 hours.

An air quality monitoring station of the department in Chang Phuak sub-district of Muang Chiang Mai district reported particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and less in diameter (PM2.5) measured 183 micrograms per cubic meter of air in the past 24 hours. The safe threshold is at 50mcg. The level of fine dust in Chiang Mai has been top of the world’s air pollution ranking for three days.

Chiang Mai governor Supachai Iamsuwan said the pollution resulted from field burning in the province and in a neighboring country and the basin terrain of Chiang Mai and cold weather trapped the air pollution there. He expected the situation to be alleviated in three days.

He said officials were trying to put out forest fires, spraying water in communities and asking people to stop burning off fields.

Source: TNA