Air quality in very unhealthy levels
Students from Tao Nan School returning to classes yesterday after the Ministry of Education closed schools last Friday. Air quality remained at unhealthy levels after deteriorating through the day yesterday. Photo: Wee Teck Hian
SINGAPORE — Despite a short-lived respite from a heavy downpour, air quality remained at unhealthy levels yesterday after deteriorating over the day, and could reach “mid to high” levels of the very unhealthy range (201 to 300) today, although there was a chance of conditions improving in the morning, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).
As at 1pm today, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is in the very unhealthy range at 167-213. The three-hour PSI was 245, down from a high of 261 at 6pm yesterday. The one-hour PM2.5 concentration was 183 to 227 microgrammes per cubic metre.
The decline in air quality following a relatively clear weekend was because of a shift in the prevailing winds blowing from the south and south-west, bringing denser haze from Sumatra towards Singapore. A total of 127 hot spots were detected in Sumatra yesterday, and moderate to dense smoke haze continued to persist in central and southern Sumatra. Some of the haze has also spread over the seas south of Singapore, the NEA said.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday flew to Jakarta, where he met Indonesian Defence Minister General (Rtd) Ryamizard Ryacudu to discuss the haze situation, as well as ways to enhance bilateral defence cooperation. During the meeting, Dr Ng reiterated Singapore’s position that the Singapore Armed Forces stood ready to support and assist Indonesia’s haze mitigation efforts when activated, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement yesterday.
The meeting comes as Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said it was open to all countries, including Singapore, to help with extinguishing forest and land fires in the country to clear the haze. “Go ahead, we are open. Singapore can come and see for themselves if they want to help. Don’t just talk (about it),” local news agency Antara News quoted Mr Kalla as saying on Sunday, on the sidelines of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York.
The call for assistance by Mr Kalla — who has also said Indonesia does not need to apologise for the haze and repeatedly remarked that Indonesia’s neighbours should be thankful for the months of fresh air that the nation’s forests bring — is his second in recent weeks. On Sept 15, he appealed to Singapore through local media to help fight the fires, and was quoted as saying: “Singapore, please come. Singapore also knows that the natural disaster can happen anywhere.”
Last week, the Republic was hit by its worst haze spell of haze since 2013 when the 24-hour PSI entered hazardous territory, peaking at a range of 267 to 322 at 8am on Friday, resulting in the unprecedented closure of primary and secondary schools.
Schools reopened yesterday, as the haze was expected to fall below the hazardous mark.
