Bernama 7 Jul 11;
BANGKOK, July 7 (Bernama) - A Thai authority acknowledged Thursday that certain areas in Thailand's southern region have been affected by seasonal haze at a moderate level on average, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.
Jongjit Niranatmetheekul, chief of the environment office region 16, under Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, confirmed that the index of air quality calculated by her ministry's Pollution Control Department through updated data gathered from several air inspection stations in the Thai South, including those in Hat Yai of Songkhla and in Satun Provinces showed Thursday morning the moderate air quality on average without any serious public health threat.
Jongjit said, however, that the mild smog, believed to have been affected by seasonal haze in neighbouring Indonesia caused by forest fire on Sumatra Island, has reduced local people's visibility, as she urged the local public, particularly the elderly, children and allergic patients, to remain indoors as a precaution at the moment to prevent themselves from smog-borne illnesses.
Meanwhile, thicker smog was reported in Satun Thursday, particularly at provincial forests, mountains and roads, prompting local public health officials to have prepared measures to take care of people's health, including a handout of face masks at communal hospitals and public health offices.
-- BERNAMA
Air quality in South blanketed by moderate haze
MCOT News 7 Jul 11;
SONGKHLA, July 7 - The air quality index in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district is hovering midway since the region was blanketed by haze from Indonesian forest fires.
Chongchit Neeranatmetheekul, director of the local environmental office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that smog in the South assessed at Air Quality Monitoring Stations found that the air quality is near the middle of the scale and will not have a health impact.
However, thin haze has still caused poor visibility and people with allergies, the elderly and small children are advised to stay indoors.
The haze probably comes from forest fires on Indonesian Sumatra which envelopes the Thai South annually. The Pollution Control Department is monitoring the situation continuously.
In Satun, smog has covered several areas for the third consecutive day Thursday. It is thicker than yesterday.
The Pollution Control Department dispatched mobile air quality monitoring units to inspect air quality and the provincial public health office advises on health guidelines and practices for local residents.
Masks are available for the public at public health offices and hospitals in their communities. (MCOT online news)
Haze from Sumatra pollutes the air in Selangor and Penang
Straits Times 8 Jul 11;
SHAH ALAM: Air quality in parts of Malaysia was near unhealthy levels yesterday as south-westerly winds carried haze from Sumatra to the neighbouring countries, according to the Malaysian environment agency.
The Department of Environment (DOE) website indicated that the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Seberang Jaya in Penang had reached 98 yesterday.
The API for unhealthy air quality is between 101 and 200 while a reading above 301 is hazardous.
Singapore's air quality has not been affected by the fires in Sumatra so far, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) told The Straits Times yesterday.
This is because the prevailing south-easterly winds are not blowing the smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra to Singapore.
But it warned that a possible change in wind direction to south-westerly over the weekend may bring some slight haze towards Singapore if the fires in central Sumatra persist.
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index reading at 4pm yesterday was 39, which was within the good range.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the NEA said showers over parts of Sumatra in western Indonesia have helped reduce the number of hot spots from 191 on Wednesday to 70 yesterday.
Over in Malaysia, the API reading in Port Klang in the Selangor state hit 92 yesterday.
A DOE spokesman there said that the haze was caused by a combination of factors including the open burning of rubbish, south-westerly winds carrying smoke from hot spots in Sumatra and the current hot weather, The Star reported.
On Wednesday, the Indonesian MetroTV reported that an airport in Riau province in Sumatra was blanketed by haze and the authorities might close it if the haze worsened.
