Tania Tan in Singapore & Salim Osman in Indonesia
Straits Times 26 Feb 08;
ILL winds are blowing the haze towards Singapore again, as farmers in the Sumatran province of Riau have begun clearing undergrowth by setting it alight earlier than usual.
Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings hovered in the 'moderate' range last week, and hit 56 on Sunday, the year's highest so far.
The weekend's slightly hazy conditions are expected to last over the next few days, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).
But yesterday's afternoon showers helped clear the air and put it back in the 'good' range.
At 4pm, western Singapore registered 44 on the PSI, followed by the south with 35. The central, northern and eastern parts of Singapore clocked readings of between 23 and 33.
Readings varied through the day. A check by this newspaper found Ang Mo Kio and Bukit Timah hazy at 3pm, and the Central Business District largely clear during the lunch hour.
Last week and through the weekend, however, dry weather and variable wind conditions over Indonesia worked together to send over haze particles from the fires set by the farmers, said the NEA.
But it expects stronger winds to pick up and push the smoke haze away, so better air quality can be expected 'in the coming days'.
Rain also fell in central and southern Sumatra yesterday, which helped douse some of the fires.
Provincial officials told The Straits Times that they were confident the fires could be controlled if rain continued over the next few days.
The head of the Riau government's environmental impact committee, Mrs Arbaini, said: 'We have mobilised all our resources to fight the fires. We don't want smoke from forest fires here to travel to neighbouring countries.'
Riau provincial government spokesman Surya Maulana, calling the rain 'a godsend', noted that the meteorological station had not predicted a wet day for the area.
The slash-and-burn clearing of forests usually starts in late March, but north-easterly winds often blow the haze away from Singapore. In September 2006, Singapore became enshrouded in a choking haze as a result of dry weather and winds that blew the smoke in this direction.
NEA says haze situation set to improve
Channel NewsAsia 25 Feb 08;
SINGAPORE: Over the past three days, air quality had been affected by an increase in land and forest fires in Indonesia's Riau province, due to a dry spell in the region.
However, the situation improved on Monday with visibly clearer skies. The National Environment Agency's pollutant standards index (PSI) also showed that the air quality was back in the 'good' range.
At 4pm, the PSI stood at 44 after days of ‘moderate’ air quality. On Sunday, the PSI had risen to 56.
Most school officials said they are keeping an eye on the pollutant standards index. If the situation worsens, they have alternatives such as substituting outdoor activities with indoor ones.
According to the National Environment Agency, rain over the past two days in central and Southern Sumatra helped to alleviate the haze.
The latest satellite pictures also showed two hotspots in Sumatra, a significant drop from the hotspot count of 100 on February 21.
Impending showers and strong winds are expected to ease the situation further, improving the air quality in the coming days. - CNA/vm
