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Govt launches drive to ease Bangkok pollution

BANGKOK: The Thai government launched a campaign to tackle Bangkok's worsening air and water pollution, newspapers reported on Saturday.

A committee chaired by Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa passed measures on Friday aimed mainly at reducing the level of dust from Bangkok's ubiquitous construction sites and emissions from a growing number of vehicles.

Construction firms will be required to follow dust-control measures, the Bangkok Post reported an official as saying after the meeting.

If construction companies refuse to cooperate, they would risk of being shut down, the Post reported Banharn as saying.

Public buses will come under closer scrutiny as inspection of motor vehicles will be stepped up to ensure they comply with emission standards.

The campaign followed a report this week that more than a million people in Bangkok suffered from allergies and upper respiratory infections caused by airborne dust levels that are up to six times higher than the international safety standards.

The Pollution Control Department said Bangkok used to be plagued with problems of high levels of lead in the air, now the crisis is because of dust.

About 40 percent of airbone dust comes from construction activities, which are on the rise in Bangkok. Another 40 percent comes from vehicle exhausts and the remainder from industrial and other sources.

Earlier this month Queen Sirikit Adulyadej urged Banharn to take action on air pollution problems in Bangkok.-Reuter