Smoke from Indonesian fires chokes S'pore and Malaysia

Smoky haze from Indonesia’s forest fires today choked Singapore and Malaysia, prompting both governments to issue health warnings to their citizens.

Satellite images from Indonesia’s Riau Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency showed 113 forest fires in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, causing the haze.

Singapore’s air pollution index (API) hit 155 late yesterday, the highest since September 1997 when the index reached an all-time high of 226, before easing to 114 today.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency said the country’s air quality was still at an “unhealthy level” as haze with a strong burning smell engulfed the south-east Asian city-state of more than 5 million people.

Singaporean health authorities advised the public, especially children and the elderly with respiratory conditions, to minimise prolonged or heavy outdoor activities.

Singapore has also urged the Indonesian authorities to look into urgent measures to mitigate the occurrences of transboundary haze.

In neighbouring Malaysia, several states were engulfed in moderate haze, prompting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to recommend that people limit outdoor activities.

Records from Malaysia’s Department of Environment showed almost all areas in the peninsular part of the country were enveloped by moderate haze, with four cities having unhealthy levels of pollution.

Environment Minister G Palanivel said he would chair a meeting on Aug 20 with his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Thailand to discuss ways to solve the perennial haze problem.

“We will also study several proposals on early fire detection mechanisms through satellite technology and a fire danger rating system,” he said.

In Sumatra’s Riau province, thick smog blanketed the capital town of Pekanbaru, with visibility as low as 15 metres, according to environmentalist Riki Hendra.

Hendra, a campaigner for a local group Walhi, said the haze was expected to get worse in the coming weeks as the dry spell intensifies.

He said land-clearing operations by plantation owners and accidental peat fires cause the haze that travelled to neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.

“Drained peatlands release methane that makes them combustible,” Hendra said.

He added that the more than 5.5 million inhabitants of Riau have become so used to the annual haze that they were going about their business as usual and local governments have not issued any health warnings.

- dpa