Air quality in unhealthy range today

SINGAPORE — After a relatively clear weekend, air quality began deteriorating yesterday evening and was in unhealthy territory today (Sept 28). But schools will re-open following an unprecedented closure last Friday as the haze is expected to stay below the hazardous mark.

The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) today is expected to be in the low to mid sections of the unhealthy range of between 101 and 200, and could enter the high end of the range if winds are unfavourable, said the National Environment Agency yesterday. “Moderate-to-dense haze” could still be seen in central and southern Sumatra, and 61 hot spots were detected, with the low count due to cloud cover.

As of 5pm today, the 24-hour PSI was 138 to 185, the three-hour PSI was 240, and the one-hour PM2.5 concentration was 172 to 282 microgrammes per cubic metre. This was a decline from the moderate air quality Singaporeans experienced over most of the weekend, when the 24-hour and three-hour PSI stayed below the 100 mark.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said his Indonesian counterpart, Mr Luhut Panjaitan, phoned him in the afternoon to assure him that Indonesia was taking the haze very seriously and deploying more troops to fight fires.

“I informed him that we receive many questions from Singaporeans and the international community, and will have to let them know, factually, the seriousness of the haze situation,” said Mr Teo. “I also informed him that Singapore’s offer to assist Indonesia in our own small way to put out the fires still stands — it would be a sign of cooperation between our two countries, so that Indonesians and Singaporeans need not suffer the haze.”

Last week, the Republic was hit by its worst spell of haze since 2013 when the 24-hour PSI entered hazardous territory, peaking at a range of 267 to 322 at 8am on Friday. The authorities had decided a day earlier to close primary and secondary schools, as well as Ministry of Education kindergartens and special education schools.

The People’s Association designated haze shelters at community centres and Residents’ Committee centres, and set up distribution points to give out N95 masks to eligible low-income and elderly Singaporeans and permanent residents.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Health said 2,200 claims have been made under the Haze Subsidy scheme at polyclinics since Sept 16. While total figures are still being collated, polyclinic claims made up about 15 per cent of the total in the 2013 haze episode.

Confirming that schools would reopen today, the MOE assured that schools have haze management plans. “Schools are also equipped with air purifiers and there are sufficient enclosed spaces to cater to their student population,” the ministry said.

The Early Childhood Development Agency said childcare centres and kindergartens, which stayed open but scaled back on activities, will resume its programmes today, but will adjust its lessons in accordance to PSI levels.