Governor assures Chiang Mai smog will lift

As summer approaches, the yearly concern of air pollution is once again on the minds and in the lungs of Chiang Mai residents. Chiang Mai’s provincial governor Wibun Sanguanphong says that the current smog will ease in the next several days thanks to the recent rain and city workers spraying water around the city’s busiest streets in an attempt to keep dust particles and pollutants from rising.

The governor said that conditions were not as severe as last year, when many elderly residents left the city to escape the air pollution that created a veil of pollutants clearly seen on the city streets.

“The situation this year is not as critical as that of last year as the rain helped to increase humidity. Moreover, many related agencies have worked closely together to control wildfires, open-air burning and toxic fumes emitted by vehicles,� he said in an interview with the Chiang Mai Mail.

The governor has included a push for mandatory emissions testing on all registered vehicles in the city as part of his campaign platform.