Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son have been declared environmental emergency areas seriously affected by forest smoke, the Thai News Agency reported Monday.

 

Last week the northernmost Chiang Rai province was declared a disaster zone as embattled provincial and other agencies confront raging brush-and forest fires throughout the region.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham said the current atmosphere over Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son is so polluted by smoke from dry-season brushfires and the burning of forest by poachers, prompting the authorities to declare them to be emergency areas in which no further fires caused by humans will be tolerated.

 

The declaration of a state of emergency empowers provincial governors to take prompt, stringent action to contain the fires sprawling over the northern region.

 

On such emergency basis, those who might continue to torch the woods only to raise hazardous smoke would be faced with harsh legal action, according to Paiboon, who is concurrently Minister of Social Development and Social Security.

 

Satellite pictures show that a number of hot spots in areas where particulate matter at levels of more than 200 micrograms have been registered. As many as 1.5 million villagers are suffering from illnesses related to the forest smoke, such as sore throats and teary eyes.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2007)