Thai Court holds PM and NEB accountable for escalating Chiang Mai pollution
The Administrative Court yesterday decreed that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the National Environmental Board (NEB) were guilty of neglecting their duties in addressing the escalating toxic air pollution in the province of Chiang Mai. This denunciation originated from a case initiated by a local man named Wasuchart Pichai.
Wasuchart argued that he has been adversely impacted by the haze problem plaguing the region. The Prime Minister and the NEB, he claimed, have been unsuccessful in battling the ultra-fine dust or PM2.5 pollutants. His request to the court includes urging the Prime Minister to implement strategies such as commissioning cloud-seeding operations to enhance air quality.
In addition, he appealed for the province-wide declaration of a disaster zone. This would allow local government officers to release funds to combat the effects arising from the pollution.
During the proceeding, testimonies were taken from the dean of Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Medicine, several representatives from relevant agencies, and the director of Maharat Nakhon Chiang Mai Hospital and experts. The court heard that on account of the evidence presented by these witnesses that PM2.5 pollution has escalated yearly, posing severe health threats to the inhabitants in the short and long run. The defendants were found guilty of ignoring their duties in addressing the issue within the legal framework, reported Bangkok Post.
Therefore, the court ruled that the accused should exercise their powers as prescribed by the law on the prevention and mitigation of disasters, the law on the enhancement and conservation of national environmental quality, and additional relevant laws. This is to better regulate and control air pollution in the province.
Earlier this year in April, a group of approximately 1,700 residents from the province had also lodged a lawsuit at the Administrative Court. They have accused the Prime Minister and associated government departments of failing to resolve the northern region’s continuous haze predicament.
The citizens allege that individuals residing in urban areas are at an elevated risk of being exposed to harmful levels of ultra-fine dust particles. This could potentially reduce lifespans by up to five years when continuously exposed.
