Haze woes lIkely to lInger, worsen
Unlike the smog that enveloped Bangkok early in the year, the haze crisis in the North stems largely from spontaneous dry-season forest fires and other fires deliberately set to clear farmland. GISDA has found that the number of hotspots in nine northern provinces including Chiang Mai has been climbing since early March. From the dozens initially seen, the number soared in mid-March, surpassing last year’s record for the same period. As of this past Monday, the agency recorded 6,069 hotspots, compared to 4,722 in the same period last year.
