For YEARS, Chiang Mai and surrounding areas have made the news with complaints of hazy skies,
and dangerously high particle levels in the air. This year again (the period of the year when it occurs
seems to be between January and April) air pollution levels (yes, quite a few people need hospital
treatment) remained poor for many weeks. The reason is the rather medieval practice of burning waste
of farm crops, mostly in Thailand, also in neighboring Burma. On top of that, companies have been
accused of burning forest land, to prepare it for planting crops to be used for alternative fuel production.
The irony of this statement should not be lost on anybody.
What is most disturbing is that this problem has been there for many years now and often reported, at
least in the local press, but there seems to be no relevant action taken against waste burning. I guess,
nobody wants to upset the farmers.