Indonesian fire haze triggers highest regional alert in Southeast Asia
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were second and third on IQAir’s live pollution ranking on October 17, as authorities moved to tackle smoke.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) raised its southern ASEAN haze warning to Alert Level 3 on October 16, as smoke from fires in Indonesia spread across the region. The designation is the centre’s highest alert.
By October 17, IQAir’s live ranking put Singapore behind only Baghdad among major cities, followed by Kuala Lumpur. AFP reported that readings for all three were very hazardous.
The pollution has lasted for months, prompting school closures, a rise in respiratory conditions and limits on outdoor activities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste. Schools in Dili were closed amid unhealthy air, and Timor-Leste warned that conditions could deteriorate.
Singapore said on October 16 that it would warn seven Indonesian companies it considers responsible for the fires. The businesses are chiefly Sumatra pulpwood and timber suppliers, including Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau and SBA Wood Industries.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said a plane had dispersed 2.4 tonnes of dry ice in an attempt to clear smoke at a major airport in South Sumatra.
ASMC uses Level 3 when widespread smoke haze of moderate to dense intensity is observed for at least two consecutive days. Dominic Xavier Imperial, the Philippines’ foreign department spokesperson for ASEAN issues, said forthcoming meetings before November’s ASEAN summit in Manila would address the haze.
