‘Declare emergency now’

From bad to worse: Chiang Mai residents have been advised to avoid outdoor activities as some areas have recorded levels of PM2.5. — The Nation/Asia News Network

BANGKOK: An academic has called on the government to declare a state of emergency in Chiang Mai and most of Thailand’s northern provinces over “disastrous” levels of smog.

Residents in the north are advised to stay inside air-conditioned buildings and avoid all outdoor activities as some areas of Chiang Mai recorded levels of PM2.5 – particulate matter fine enough to enter a person’s bloodstream through the lungs – beyond 700 micrograms per cubic metre of air yesterday morning.