Tackling the haze at SEA Games

SINGAPORE — Preparations are in place to mitigate the effects of haze on athlete preparation and the organisation of the 2015 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said in Parliament today (July 9).

The 28th SEA Games will be held in Singapore next year, during the traditional dry season of June. Preparations include developing a framework to decide if events can proceed at different levels of air quality. Events may also be postponed, moved indoors or cancelled should the haze worsen.

These steps can be taken without a significant increase in costs, said the minister. “We will do whatever we can to engage our neighbours and manage the issue upstream so that the Games can proceed smoothly,” said Mr Wong. “If the haze is so bad that certain events cannot continue, then some of it will have to be cancelled. I don’t think this will incur a significant cost. Provisions are made in the contract so that we can make these cancellations in the event of such scenarios.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA