Raging wildfires in Indonesia affect air quality in Singapore

Wildfires in Indonesia have resulted in drop in air quality in neighbouring Singapore, revealed official readings. At 0600 GMT (2 pm local time) on Saturday (Oct 7), the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index in eastern and central Singapore was above 100. When the index crosses this mark, people are advised to reduce strenuous outdoor activities.

Singapore's National Environment Agency has said it detected 212 hot spots on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday. The number was up from 65 on Thursday and 15 on the day before that.

In Indonesia, the traditional land clearing methods are followed almost every year to clear land for palm, and paper plantations.

Watch | Indonesia denies smog from forest fires drifted to Malaysia

Indonesia's environment minister said on Friday that the country was attempting to douse forest fires with water-spraying helicopters and cloud-seeding-induced rain.

Air quality in Malaysia has been hit as well. Malaysia urged Indonesia to bring the fires under control.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo has said that wildfires in many areas were caused by extreme dry weather. He however, maintained that the situation was much better than that in 2015 when wildfires gutted 2.6 million hectares of land.

President Widodo urged local authorities in the country to put out fires before they spread.

Scientists have said that millions of hectares or land burnt in the year 2015 and 2019 generating record emissions. This had sent haze billowing across several Southeast Asian countries.

Singapore suffered the most severe haze conditions in September 2015. At the time, the 24-hour index exceeded 300 to the hazardous level. This had prompted closure of schools.

Transborder haze is a regular problem in Southeast Asia. Regulatory loopholes make it hard for authorities to control and eliminate traditional slash-and-burn land clearing practices. These are used almost every year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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