Singapore’s air pollution rose to unhealthy levels today, the
National Environment Agency said, as winds changed direction and brought
in light smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
Singapore is in the middle of its “haze” season, when smoke from
forest clearing in Indonesia traditionally chokes the air, but this year
has been practically haze free, despite warnings in May it was going to
be worse than 2013′s record pollution.
The three-hour Pollution Standards Index broke above 100, the level
beyond which the air is considered unhealthy, at 1am and remained above
that level into the daylight hours, the government agency said on its
website.
The NEA warned yesterday that if the wind blew from the southwest,
Singapore could experience occasional haze from fires on Indonesia’s
Sumatra island. The smoke blanketed Singapore last June, pushing the air
pollution index to a record 401.
In August, Singapore’s Parliament passed a bill proposing fines for
companies that cause pollution regardless of whether the companies
operate on the island, though it remains to be seen how the law can be
enforced.
Source: Reuter
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