Planters blamed for wildfires
JAKARTA: Grand Prix fans and concertgoers in Singapore battled “unhealthy” levels of haze yesterday as the city-state hosts the Formula One race.
Air quality in southern Singapore, where the race is held, was measured at 116 as of 2pm local time yesterday, according to data from the city state’s National Environment Agency.
Hotspots in Indonesia rose to 4,119 yesterday from 2,288 on Saturday, with the island of Kalimantan accounting for 1,349 fires while Sumatra accounting for 1,973, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Authorities continued to conduct “weather modification” and managed to create artificial rain in parts of Riau and West Kalimantan provinces on Saturday, the agency said.
Six of 14 scheduled flights leaving the Malaysian state of Ipoh yesterday morning were cancelled after visibility dropped to 2 kilometres, the Star reported. About 747 people were affected by the changes on flights operated by Singapore Air’s budget unit Scoot and AirAsia.
The haze situation could improve once the monsoon transition phase begins on Sept 24, according to a statement from the Malaysian meteorological department on Saturday. The transition is expected to usher in thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
The Malaysian education ministry said it will postpone special exams for 15-year-olds if the Air Pollutant Index level rises above 300, the Star reported.
Almost 900,000 Indonesians suffered from an acute respiratory infection this year as noxious smoke and ash from forest fires blanketed central and western parts of the archipelago.
South Sumatra province has been the worst-affected area, followed by Riau, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Serious cases were also found in Jambi, West, South and Central Kalimantan, it said.
Indonesia’s government said the nation’s timber and plantation industries showed a lack of commitment in preventing fires as only about 22% of forestry business permit holders submitted mandatory reports on forest fire control. The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries defended the industry, saying oil palm plantations were generally not the source of burning. Authorities have named more than 200 companies as responsible for the fires and sealed off their land.