Today Online 10 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — Air quality has reached its worst in two years, prompting Singapore to register its concerns over the haze situation with Indonesia and offer assistance.
At midnight, the 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 211 while the 24-hour PSI was at 135-152. Hazy conditions are expected to persist.
These readings are the year’s highest so far, and exceed last year’s highest 3-hour PSI reading of 153 on Oct 6 and 24-hour PSI reading of 125 on Oct 7.
Air quality is considered to be unhealthy when the 24-hour PSI ranges from 101-200. The 3-hour PSI, which reflects the PM2.5 concentration levels averaged across 3 hours, is an indicative measure that is not tied to the Ministry of Health's health advisory.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that 328 hotspots were detected in Sumatra today, up from 140 yesterday. Haze was observed in central and southern Sumatra and some of it has spread to the sea areas east of Sumatra and south of Singapore, said the NEA. The 24-hour PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the low to middle range of the unhealthy band, and may further deteriorate if the winds are unfavourable.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan today conveyed Singapore’s deep concern with the deteriorating haze situation to the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, while Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen called Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to reiterate the Singapore’s offer to assist Indonesia’s efforts in combating the forest fires in Sumatra.
Dr Balakrishnan called for urgent actions to be taken, including stricter enforcement actions against the perpetrators. He also reiterated Singapore’s offer of an assistance package for Indonesia, and requested for information on those responsible for the haze so as to facilitate appropriate enforcement action, said the NEA.
As part of the overall haze assistance package, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have placed on standby a C-130 aircraft for cloud seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire-fighting assistance team.
“The SAF stands ready to support and assist the Indonesian military (TNI), which has been deployed to put out the fires,” said MINDEF in a statement.
Since 2005, Singapore has consistently offered haze assistance packages to Indonesia in the run-up to the traditional dry season from June to October. Singapore renewed its haze assistance offer to Indonesia in June this year.
HEALTH ADVISORY
Given the air quality forecast for the next 24 hours, the NEA said healthy persons should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Persons who are not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention.
In response to media queries, a spokesperson from the Elections Department (ELD) said voters who are heading out to cast their votes on Polling Day tomorrow are advised to take guidance from the NEA’s advisory issued, should haze levels remain in the unhealthy range.
“There are priority queues at polling stations for the elderly and disabled. Those who require any assistance or feel unwell should approach election officials at their respective polling stations,” said the ELD spokesperson. The 832 polling stations will be open from 8am to 8pm.
To ensure the health and safety of some 30,000 election officials who will be on duty islandwide on Polling Day, ELD has also taken mitigating measures such as instituting adequate rest breaks and hydration for all officials.
Meanwhile, telco Singtel earlier today said it has activated its haze contingency plans, with some 5,000 N95 masks distributed to its staff who are required to work outdoors. The telco will be suspending outdoor work for its field operations staff and contract workers “should the haze situation worsen, reaching hazardous levels and affecting visibility”.
“We have advised our employees of the precautionary measures they should take based on the health authorities’ guidelines, such as reducing or avoiding outdoor activities to minimise their haze exposure,” said Singtel’s Group Chief Human Resources Officer Aileen Tan.
Haze may remain in unhealthy range on Friday: NEA
AsiaOne 10 Sep 15;
Haze conditions in Singapore has deteriorated since Thursday morning, and may remain in the unhealthy range on Friday, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The 3-hour Pollutants Standard Index (PSI) and 24-hour PSI readings climbed steadily throughout Thursday and reached 200 and 128-143 respectively at 10pm.
A 24-hour PSI reading that exceeds 100 is considered to be unhealthy.
In neighbouring Sumatra, the number of hotspots also increased to 328 from 140 the previous day.
NEA said that the 24-hour PSI on Friday is expected to remain in the low to mid sections of the unhealthy range, and may further deteriorate if the winds are unfavourable.
The Singapore Government has also offered assistance to Indonesia to help combat the haze.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) said that they have placed on standby a C-130 aircraft for cloud seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire-fighting assistance team.
NEA advises members of the public, especially the elderly, pregnant women and children, to minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Those who feel unwell should seek medical attention.
Air quality may enter Very Unhealthy range on Friday: NEA
"The 24-hr PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the mid- to high-end of the Unhealthy range, and may enter the Very Unhealthy range if denser haze is blown in," the National Environment Agency said in an update at 1am on Friday.
Channel NewsAsia 10 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: The air quality in Singapore is set to remain in the Unhealthy range through Friday (Sep 11), said the National Environment Agency (NEA), as Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan expressed concern to Indonesia over the situation.
There was a deterioration in hazy conditions due to smoke haze from Indonesia, as the number of hotspots detected in Sumatra increased to 328 from 140 on Wednesday, said NEA in a statement. Haze has spread to the sea areas east of Sumatra and the south of Singapore, the agency added.
The air quality in Singapore hit unhealthy levels on Thursday, with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) crossing the 100 mark. The 3-hour PSI at 8.00am on Friday (Sep 11) was 64, while the 24-hour PSI was at 152-176.
"The 24-hr PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the mid- to high-end of the Unhealthy range, and may enter the Very Unhealthy range if denser haze is blown in," NEA said in an advisory at 1am on Friday.
Dr Vivian “has conveyed Singapore’s deep concern with the deteriorating haze situation to the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Dr Siti Nurbaya Bakar,” said NEA.
“Minister Balakrishnan called for urgent actions to be undertaken, including stricter enforcement actions against the perpetrators,” the agency said. “Minister Balakrishnan reiterated Singapore’s offer of an assistance package for Indonesia. He also requested for information on those responsible for the haze so as to facilitate appropriate enforcement action.”
The Ministry of Defence has offered assets including a C-130 aircraft for cloud seeding operations and a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket to help fire-fighting operations. Meanwhile, the Indonesian military on Thursday sent more than 1,000 soldiers to South Sumatra province to put out the fires.
PREPARING FOR THE HAZE
In the past week, one specialist has observed a 20 per cent increase in the number of patients with respiratory illnesses.
"Mainly the asthmatic patients, the patients with chronic obstructive lung disease are coming to us with acute respiratory symptoms - they have more cough, more phlegm or even breathlessness,” said Dr Jim Teo, a physician at The Repiratory Practice. “This group of patients need more attention and stronger medical treatment in order to avoid getting worse or avoid being hospitalised."
Non-governmental organisations are pitching in to help. WWF Singapore is working with community group the People's Movement to Stop Haze to distribute masks at public areas, when the PSI reading goes beyond 200. They have prepared about 9,000 masks to be given out at public areas to those who need them, including the elderly.
"By giving out the masks, it helps people to understand this problem is very real,” said Ms Karen Sim, a conservation resource manager at WWF. “But I don't think we should just focus on the mask itself, but the message behind - why do we even have this problem? From there we teach people about the causes behind the haze - unsustainable palm oil and pulp and paper production."
- CNA/xq
Organisations activate haze contingency plans
MARISSA YEO Today Online 11 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — As the haze worsened yesterday, various organisations began putting into action their contingency plans.
With Singaporeans heading to the polls today, the Elections Department (ELD) has advised Singaporeans to note the NEA’s advisory. “There are priority queues at polling stations for the elderly and disabled. Those who require any assistance or feel unwell should approach election officials at their respective polling stations,” said an ELD spokesperson in a media release yesterday.
To ensure the health and safety of some 30,000 election officials who will be on duty islandwide, ELD has also taken mitigating measures such as instituting adequate rest breaks and hydration for all officials.
Meanwhile, telco Singtel earlier today said it has activated its haze contingency plans, with some 5,000 N95 masks distributed to its staff who are required to work outdoors. The telco will be suspending outdoor work for its field operations staff and contract workers “should the haze situation worsen, reaching hazardous levels and affecting visibility”.
Pre-schools contacted by TODAY have also taken action, with some already suspending outdoor activities even before the haze worsened over the day. EtonHouse International School has been monitoring the PSI index closely and outdoor activities would be suspended the moment it exceeds 100, said senior principal Josephyne Ho. The school will also minimise physical activities and monitor their children’s health.
Likewise, NTUC My First Skool said its schools — it operates over 100 centres islandwide — cut down on physical and strenuous outdoor activities when the PSI readings breach 100. “We also encourage principals to take their own initiative to adjust classroom activities and needs if visually they feel that the haze situation is at a level above their comfort level despite PSI readings,” said a My First Skool spokesperson.
G8 Education, which operates over 40 childcare centres, said that should the haze worsen, it will keep all doors and windows at its centres closed, and those with chronic heart and lung conditions will be placed in air-conditioned rooms.
Standing fans and air purifiers will be kept switched on throughout the day to ventilate the classrooms.
Nursing homes, meanwhile, told TODAY they would keep fans on at full blast. Ms Leong Sok Boy, a nurse at Paean Nursing Home, said: “If the haze worsens, we will close the door temporarily and I may suggest to my boss to (purchase) air purifiers.”
Retailers have also seen sales of N95 masks increase, but said that there are sufficient stocks. Watsons has a total of 22,000 masks stocked in all its stores and saw a double-digit growth in the sales for N95 masks over the past weeks.
FairPrice has seen a 10 per cent increase in sales of the N95 masks since the last week of the past month. “At present, our stores continue to have sufficient supply to meet the demands. Customers are encouraged to only buy what they need for their personal use,” said a FairPrice spokesperson.
Last year, the Ministry of Health said it had 16 million N95 masks on standby in the case of a shortage.
Unhealthy haze casts pall over Singapore
Today Online 11 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — The Republic experienced its worst haze in two years yesterday, with the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) breaching the 200-mark — prompting Singapore to register its concerns over the haze situation with Indonesia and offer assistance.
Air quality was in unhealthy territory for much of the day, with the 24-hour PSI at 132 to 148 as at 11pm. The three-hour PSI reading was an eye-watering 207, exceeding the three-hour PSI of 153 seen last year. Air quality is considered “very unhealthy” when the 24-hour PSI crosses 200.
In an update yesterday evening, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that 328 hotspots were detected in Sumatra yesterday, up from 140 the day before. Haze was observed in central and southern Sumatra and some of it has spread to the sea areas east of Sumatra and south of Singapore, said the NEA.
The 24-hour PSI is unexpected to be in the low to middle range of the unhealthy band (101 to 200) today, and may further deteriorate if the winds become unfavourable. The NEA advised healthy persons to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while the elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, as should those with chronic lung or heart disease.
With the situation deteriorating, Singapore’s leaders reached out to their Indonesian counterparts yesterday to urge action and offer fire-fighting assistance. The NEA said Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday conveyed Singapore’s “deep concern” to the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, and called for stricter enforcement actions against the perpetrators.
He also reiterated Singapore’s offer of an assistance package for Indonesia, and requested for information on those responsible for the haze so as to facilitate appropriate enforcement action, said the NEA.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen called Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to assist in combating the forest fires in Sumatra. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have placed on standby a C-130 aircraft for cloud-seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force fire-fighting assistance team.
“The SAF stands ready to support and assist the Indonesian military (TNI), which has been deployed to put out the fires,” said MINDEF in a statement.
The haze is at its worst since 2013, when the PSI soared to a choking 401 in June that year. The smog blanketing the region put pressure on Indonesia to take action, but progress has been slow in enacting measures such as a regional haze monitoring system. Singapore last year enacted the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which allows entities causing or contributing to unhealthy levels of haze here to be fined up to S$2 million.
Firms, clinics prepare for worsening haze
3-hour PSI hits new high of 207 while 24-hour PSI creeps up to 132-148
Claire Huang Business Times 11 Sep 15;
AS the smog clouding Singapore thickens, led by the slash-and-burn agricultural activities in Indonesia, local businesses have activated precautionary measures, while more patients seek treatment for respiratory conditions.
At 11pm on Thursday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading hit a new high of 207, while the 24-hour PSI reading crept up to between 132 and 148. The readings had crossed over into the "unhealthy" range of between 101 and 200 earlier in the day.
NEA said in its advisory that the hazy conditions here were exacerbated by smoke blown from Sumatra by the prevailing south or southwesterly winds. It said the haze is expected to persist on Friday, as the prevailing winds are forecast to blow in from the south-southeast or south.
"The number of hotspots detected in Sumatra increased to 328 today (Sept 10) from 140 yesterday. Haze was observed in central and southern Sumatra. Some haze has spread to the sea areas east of Sumatra and south of Singapore," the agency said, adding that Singapore has registered its "deep concern" to Indonesia and called for urgent action to be undertaken. Singapore has also offered to assist Indonesia's efforts to fight the ongoing forest fires.
Back home, some medical groups expect to see more patients seeking treatment for conditions triggered by the deteriorating hazy conditions.
Parkway Shenton medical director Koh Hau Tek said Shenton Medical Group is seeing a 15 per cent rise in the number of cases with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and infections at its clinics. Dr Koh noted "those affected seem to be from all ages", especially those with underlying respiratory conditions like asthma.
Raffles Medical Group's (RMG) deputy medical director Michael Lee said the group has seen "a spike of 10-20 per cent in the number of patients for the past week". Besides causing the onset of URTI and eye and throat irritation, the haze has also aggravated patients' pre-existing medical conditions - namely asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema, Dr Lee said.
On the business front, firms are gearing up for the expected yearly routine of countering the haze.
Food caterer Neo Group, for example, said it monitors the PSI levels, has a ready supply of surgical masks and will also stock up on NR95 masks. To encourage its drivers to drink more water, the company has issued them 1.9-litre water carriers and prepares cooling herbal tea for staff on a regular basis during hazy weather.
Others like local lenders OCBC and UOB have issued advisories to employees and begun distributing masks.
Patrick Chew, OCBC's head of operational risk management, said it has pre-issued N95 respiratory masks to bank branches and the various offices for easy access. Should conditions worsen, he said external activities that are non-critical will be scaled back.
Workers at HSL Constructor Pte Ltd carry out the standard practice of wearing masks at sites even without the haze, said CEO Charles Quek. He added that, from past experience, his workers avoid intense activities like excavation works when the PSI hits dangerous levels.
Air quality in Singapore remains in Unhealthy range
The 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 75 at 11am after hitting a high of 248 at 3am. Air quality is expected to stay in the Unhealthy range on Friday (Sep 11).
Channel NewsAsia 11 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: Air quality in Singapore improved on Friday morning (Sep 11). The 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 88 at noon after hitting a high of 248 at 3am. The corresponding 24-hour PSI ranged from 144-167.
The air quality is expected to stay in the Unhealthy range later Friday, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday expressed concern to Indonesia over the situation.
There was a deterioration in hazy conditions due to smoke haze from Indonesia, as the number of hotspots detected in Sumatra increased to 328 from 140 on Wednesday, said NEA in a statement. Haze has spread to the sea areas east of Sumatra and the south of Singapore, the agency added.
The air quality in Singapore rose to unhealthy levels on Thursday, with the 24-hour PSI crossing the 100 mark.
- CNA/al/wl/hs
Hazy conditions improve due to shift in wind direction: NEA
Air quality remains unhealthy, may deteriorate in the late afternoon should the winds turn unfavourable
Today Online 11 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — Air quality remained in the unhealthy range this morning (Sept 11) although the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings registered an improvement.
As at 11am, the 24-hour PSI was at 146 - 168, down from a high of 158 - 182 at 5am. The 3-hour PSI reading was at 75, down from the year's highest of 248 at 3am.
The 24-hour PSI for the next 12 hours is expected to be in the high end dropping to the mid section of the unhealthy range (101-200), said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in an update this morning.
The NEA said hazy conditions improved due to a shift in the direction of the prevailing winds to southeasterly and are expected to continue improving through the day as the winds are forecasted to be maintained. "However, widespread haze is still persisting in Sumatra and there is a chance that the haze situation in Singapore may deteriorate in the late afternoon should the winds turn unfavourable," said the NEA.
Singapore experienced its worst haze in two years overnight, with the three-hour PSI breaching the 200-mark, hitting 207 at 11pm and reaching a high of 248 at 3am early this morning. The PSI then began to decline steeply in the following hours.
Yesterday, 328 hotspots were detected in Sumatra, up from 140 the day before.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday conveyed Singapore’s “deep concern” to the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, and called for stricter enforcement actions against the perpetrators.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen called Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to assist in combating the forest fires in Sumatra. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have placed on standby a C-130 aircraft for cloud-seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force fire-fighting assistance team.
Air quality in S’pore at its worst since April 2014
Jasmine Osada, Straits Times AsiaOne 11 Sep 15;
Haze at Bedok Reservoir Park at 4.30pm when the 3-hour PSI at 4pm is 138 on Sept 10, 2015. The haze on Friday (Sept 11) has since improved.
Singapore was hit yesterday by the worst haze since April last year - when the index measuring air quality was tweaked - and the authorities warn that it could deteriorate.
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) rose through the day to between 132 and 148, in the unhealthy range of 101-200, by 11pm. The three-hour PSI then was 207, in the very unhealthy range.
Last year, the highest three-hour PSI was 153 on Oct 6, and the highest 24-hour PSI was 107-125 on Oct 7.
Those heading to the polls today should expect hazy conditions to persist, said the National Environment Agency yesterday.
The 24-hour PSI is expected to be in the low- to mid-part of the unhealthy range, and may climb if the winds are unfavourable.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan conveyed Singapore's deep concern over the deteriorating haze situation to Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar yesterday, when the number of hot spots in Sumatra rose from 140 on Wednesday to 328. He called for urgent action to be undertaken, including stricter action against the perpetrators.
Both he and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen repeated Singapore's offer of help - it had put on standby aircraft and personnel to seed clouds and carry out aerial firefighting, and a firefighting assistance team.
Yesterday, Indonesia sent more than 1,000 soldiers to Sumatra to aid firefighting efforts.
The S-League football match between Albirex Niigata and Tampines Rovers at Jalan Besar Stadium was postponed due to the haze. EtonHouse, which runs 17 pre-schools, suspended outdoor activities once the PSI crossed 100.
Several firms here have started implementing contingency plans.
Doctors also reported a spike of up to 20 per cent in patients with haze-related conditions, such as blocked noses and irritated skin.
Dr Michael Lee, deputy medical director of Raffles Medical Group, said: "We expect to see more patients in the coming weeks if the haze continues to worsen."
Undergraduate Benny Sng, 24, who was sick from the haze, said: "I'm not looking forward to standing in the queue tomorrow even though it is my first time voting. If the air quality worsens, I will take a mask along with me."
The worsening haze has disrupted long-weekend plans for some.
Billing executive Josephine Lim, 49, said: "I had planned to visit the Botanic Gardens with my family on Saturday. But with the haze so bad, I'm planning to stay indoors."
Bad air making more people ill
Salma Khalik, Straits Times AsiaOne 11 Sep 15;
Doctors are seeing a sharp rise in the number of patients suffering from haze-related ailments as Singapore was blanketed with smoke yesterday.
The medical conditions include upper respiratory tract infections, irritation to the nose, eyes and throat, and allergies of the nose and skin.
The Shenton Medical Group said its GP clinics are getting 15 per cent more patients while Raffles Medical's GP clinics are getting 10 per cent to 20 per cent more.
Doctors who The Straits Times spoke to say the haze appears to affect people of all ages, from young children to the elderly.
Dr Tan Tze Lee, a general practitioner in private practice, said he is seeing slightly more seniors affected.
He said he has treated 20 per cent more patients this week, but most had "minor to moderate irritation" and the situation is not as bad as it was in 2013, when the quality of air crossed the "hazardous" level.
The 24-hour PSI reading was between 132 and 148 at 11pm. The three-hour PSI then was 207, in the very unhealthy range.
This is higher than last year's 24-hour peak of 107 to 125 seen in October.
A PSI value within 101 to 200 is considered unhealthy.
