Haze in Singapore clears, PSI falls from highs
Posted: 08 October 2006 1215 hrs
SINGAPORE: The thick haze from forest fires in Indonesia that
enveloped Singapore's skies and sent its pollution index to a
nine-year high cleared up markedly on Sunday.
At 12:00 pm (0400 GMT), the three-hour average Pollutant Standards
Index (PSI) stood at 27, down from Saturday's peak of 150, a
nine-year high, according to readings posted on the National
Environment Agency (NEA) website.
A reading of 0-50 is good while anything between 101-200 is
unhealthy.
The PSI has steadily declined since its reading of 57 at 7:00 am
when the NEA begins its hourly update of the haze situation.
The index's all-time high reading of 226 was recorded in 1997 when
the region's skies were choked by a thick smog from forest fires in
Indonesia.
The fog-like haze, which has affected Singapore for several days,
carried with it a burning smell.
Singapore has expressed its concerns about the situation to
Indonesia, stressing the urgency to suppress the forest fires,
which are lit to clear land.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said: "I just hope that next year,
the Indonesians will understand our concerns and do something about
the haze, or do something about the fire before it is started by
farmers and plantation owners. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs will
be registering our concerns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Indonesia, that's the least we should do."
Singapore had also offered to help Indonesia douse the forest fires
through cloud-seeding to induce rain and to assist Indonesian
farmers in land clearing, but Jakarta has yet to take up the
offer.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, said:
"At the end of the day, it is up to the Indonesian government, the
Indonesian people. At this point in time, the offer that we have
made still stands."
"I think if there is anything else that they need, if they make a
request, we will consider it. Meanwhile on our part, we will
continue to provide them coordinates and locations of the hot
spots. From there, they can locate the forest fires and hopefully
they can suppress the fires as quickly as possible," Dr Yaacob told
reporters late Saturday.
Minister Yaacob also said an Indonesian official passed through
Singapore recently to see for herself how the haze has affected
Singapore. - CNA/ir
now then the gahment starts talking
