The worst of Singapore haze is over, says NEA
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The worst of Singapore haze is over, says NEA
By Yvonne Yong, channelnewsasia.com | Posted: 01 November 2006 1350 hrs
SINGAPORE: This yearÂ’s haze has been the worst since 1997, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
But the worst of the haze for 2006 is over, and Singapore should experience clearer skies for the remainder of the year.
Since the end of September, when Singapore first started to feel the effects of burning fires and drifting smoke from Sumatra and Borneo, there have been three days when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) has hit 'unhealthy' levels above 100.
The highest recorded level for this year was 128 on October 7, compared to 138 in 1997, when there were a total of twelve ‘unhealthy’ days.
The rising PSI levels this year prompted the NEA to provide hourly PSI readings from October 6, based on average readings taken over three hours.
This was so that Singaporeans could get an indication of the haze levels throughout the day rather than wait for the more accurate 24-hr reading at 4pm.
Thirteen air pollutant monitoring stations throughout Singapore measure the levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and PM10 in the air.
The main pollutant during the haze period has been PM10 or, in less scientific terms, tiny particles of soot, dust, smoke, fumes and aerosols.
The daily PSI reading for Singapore over the past month has corresponded to the highest PM10 level (daily average) recorded in any one of the North, South, East, West or Central regions.
Since 2000, the NEA has also been able to keep track of the number of fires burning, or hotspots, in the region, via satellite.
The highest number of hotspots recorded on any one day this year was 637, both on October 11 and 15.
Towards the end of October, the number of hotspots in Borneo have remained in the hundreds, while those in Sumatra have reduced to almost zero.
The NEA says the worst of the haze in Singapore is over for 2006, with the air quality and PSI unlikely to venture into the ‘unhealthy’ range due to inter-monsoon conditions with light and variable winds.
Inter-Monsoons are the transition periods between the traditional dry and wet seasons in the region.
The Southwest Monsoon (dry season) usually lasts from May to September and the Northeast Monsoon (wet season) from December to March.
However, Singapore experienced rather dry conditions during October this year with rainfall for the month recorded at below average for about 90 per cent of the island.
The southern coastal areas including Sentosa Island and East Coast Park were especially dry with only 10 to 40 mm of rain recorded (80 to 95 per cent below average).
Drier-than-normal weather not only in Singapore but also in Sumatra and Kalimantan where forest fires have been occurring, has contributed to the higher haze levels experienced in October.
Towards the end of October Singapore has had increasingly ‘good’ quality air with PSI readings below 50.
Forecasters say this is mainly due to the change in the wind patterns and an increase in rainfall over fire-stricken areas in the region.
The fact that Singapore has experienced more rain of late, with the central area around MacRitchie Reservoir receiving 30 per cent more rain than usual, has meant clearer skies as rain washes away haze particles in the air.
yeah we are saved
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yeah
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yay!
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the haze is nvr over one lor.. wait nxt year come again then they say the same old things once again..
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We look forward to 2015. The next haze.
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so croco can go out buaya ger ger liao
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without the rain they can do nothing.
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Originally posted by Bontakun:We look forward to 2015. The next haze.
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what if there is a haze a few days later?
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the whole bunch of them better resign their jobs, for their own safety.Originally posted by precipice:what if there is a haze a few days later?
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You do know what is the cause of the haze right? Some farmers have to remove the used crops and make space for new crops to plant and grow. No $$$ to spend on cutting off, cheaper way is to burn... which went out of control. So the cycle in 1997 is over, then wait 9 yrs later when da crops are good for harvest den remove, what next? Burn again. So when this one is over, grow new crops, wait till its ripe and harvest, then what to do to remove the used crops?Originally posted by lifeisgood9989:
Burn again. -
ya, next year will be worse
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and y do u look forward to the haze? wait every one kana lung cancer then all die..Originally posted by Bontakun:You do know what is the cause of the haze right? Some farmers have to remove the used crops and make space for new crops to plant and grow. No $$$ to spend on cutting off, cheaper way is to burn... which went out of control. So the cycle in 1997 is over, then wait 9 yrs later when da crops are good for harvest den remove, what next? Burn again. So when this one is over, grow new crops, wait till its ripe and harvest, then what to do to remove the used crops?
Burn again. -
So we are BETTER prepared for it. You tink I like it meh!? Juz because some cheapo refuse to hire ppl to manually remove the used crops, they resort to burning and it went out of control!Originally posted by lifeisgood9989:and y do u look forward to the haze? wait every one kana lung cancer then all die..
Toopid!!!
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For now? Or for good?
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more like hte indon govt dun wanna do anything. as i said if they execute/punish heavily every one doing such stuff i bet no or very very little pple would do the burning....Originally posted by Bontakun:So we are BETTER prepared for it. You tink I like it meh!? Juz because some cheapo refuse to hire ppl to manually remove the used crops, they resort to burning and it went out of control!
Toopid!!! -
they said they already "did their best"Originally posted by hisoka:more like hte indon govt dun wanna do anything. as i said if they execute/punish heavily every one doing such stuff i bet no or very very little pple would do the burning.... -
We muz prepare for it. For now we got a few years to try to convince those farmers or what who are doing all these to think of the enviornment they are indirectly bringing harm to.Originally posted by hisoka:more like hte indon govt dun wanna do anything. as i said if they execute/punish heavily every one doing such stuff i bet no or very very little pple would do the burning.... -
yeah right they did their bestOriginally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate:they said they already "did their best" 
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education is important but i would say that its not going to have much effect, at least not in the next few years( and i mean like probably 1 generation) if we only rely on that.Originally posted by Bontakun:We muz prepare for it. For now we got a few years to try to convince those farmers or what who are doing all these to think of the enviornment they are indirectly bringing harm to.
enforcement is the way to go with education on the sidelines -
But eh... if their government not gonna enforce, we cant do much... ro we set up "oxygen mask" shop? sure can profit.Originally posted by hisoka:education is important but i would say that its not going to have much effect, at least not in the next few years( and i mean like probably 1 generation) if we only rely on that.
enforcement is the way to go with education on the sidelines -
Originally posted by Bontakun:But eh... if their government not gonna enforce, we cant do much... ro we set up "oxygen mask" shop? sure can profit.
good idea.
thats why i sometimes really wonder if its better for a war to occur and then the world is unified into a state/country.
yes the war would be bad but maybe in the long run it might be beneficial
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War among one another? I dun tink its a good idea. Maybe if got extra terrestials..........Originally posted by hisoka:
good idea.
thats why i sometimes really wonder if its better for a war to occur and then the world is unified into a state/country.
yes the war would be bad but maybe in the long run it might be beneficial -
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the haze is back right?