Friday, June 21, 2013

20130618 BBC_Singapore hit by highest haze levels in 16 years

BBC_Singapore hit by highest haze levels in 16 years

Singapore has been hit by severe haze from forest fires in nearby Indonesia, prompting a health alert from the government.

Outdoor physical activity should be avoided, and vulnerable people should stay indoors, the government said.

The haze is expected to last for the next few days, the government added.

In Singapore, the view of many landmarks and buildings was obscured by the haze, and the smell of burnt wood was noticeable in the city.

In a statement on Monday, Singapore's National Environment Agency said winds had brought over the smoke haze from fires in Sumatra, Indonesia.

'Slash-and-burn'
Singapore's Environment Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said that "for too long, commercial interests in Indonesia have been allowed to override environmental concerns".
However, an Indonesian official said that Singaporean and Malaysian investors also bore some responsibility for the fires, AFP news agency reported.
"The slash-and-burn technique being used is the cheapest land-clearing method and it is not only used by local farmers, but also employees of palm oil investors including Singaporean and Malaysian companies," Hadi Daryanto, an official at Indonesia's Forestry Ministry, said.
"We hope the governments of Malaysia and Singapore will tell their investors to adopt proper measures so we can solve this problem together."

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