THAI authorities urged Bangkok residents to work from home and wear respirator masks outdoors as air pollution level worsens in one of the world’s most-visited cities.
Residents in the city of more than 10 million should work from home if possible or switch from personal vehicles to public transport options if they had to commute, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in a statement on Tuesday.
Authorities would seek to control activities causing dust particles such as outdoor burning, construction and combustion from truck engines, he added.
Air quality in the Thai capital has been mostly at unhealthy levels since the weekend with authorities warning that the hazardous dust particles, known as PM 2.5, may exceed safe levels again later this week.
While the city’s air quality was moderate yesterday morning, it’s set to slide to unhealthy levels from today, according to AirVisual.
Bangkok and other Thai cities have grappled with poor air quality in recent years, with pollution tending to get worse in the dry season around December to February.
Authorities would “intensively monitor” pollution levels in Bangkok from now until the end of February, Chadchart said.
For now, schools in the city should still open as normal, he said. — Bloomberg
