Cambodia has issued a directive to ban people living in rural areas from burning paddy straw and garbage in their fields to reduce air pollution, the Khmer Times reported on Monday.
Neth Pheaktra, Ministry of Environment spokesman, said according to a survey, the main sources and activities that cause an increase of the concentration of inert particles are emissions from industrial plants, vehicles using diesel and other fuels, forest fires, burning of grass fields, burning agricultural waste, forest clearing, burning of rice straw, burning of solid waste in the open and landfills, and dust from construction sites.
He said that during the dry season from December to April, the results of the previous air quality monitoring survey conducted in capital Phnom Penh and the provinces indicated that the air quality had deteriorated alarmingly, especially with the increase in the concentration of inert particles floating in the air (PMID and PM2.5) above the set standard, which could be high risk and impact people’s health.
In full: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/14/c_139588788.htm
