S'pore warns public of haze from RI

S'pore warns public of haze from RI

SINGAPORE (AFP): The Singapore government warned the public Thursday to start preparing for the possible return of unhealthy air pollution here within weeks as hundreds of forest fires rage in Indonesia.

Forest fires began in January in East Kalimantan and the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks, with hundreds of forest fires reported, an official statement said.

The warning came one day after Southeast Asian nations appealed for international help to fight the forest fires.

"If this situation persists, Singapore will be affected by smoke haze following the onset of the inter-monsoon period in late March, when winds become more variable and will blow from a more southerly direction in some days," the Singapore government statement said.

Millions of people in Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia were affected by a severe haze in the latter half of 1997, triggering an international effort to douse Indonesian forest fires.

Most of the fires are believed to have been deliberately started by commercial plantations as well as farmers to clear land for planting.

There are fears in the region that the problem could be more severe this year because Indonesia is currently gripped by an economic crisis, forcing the government to cut down on spending.

The Singapore health ministry said persons with asthma, chronic lung disease and sinusitis, and allergic skin conditions were likely to be more affected by the haze.

"Children and the elderly in general would be more susceptible," it said.

Households with vulnerable members were advised to consider buying air cleaners or special filters for their airconditioners to reduce the impact of the environmental problem.

It provided a list of air cleaners found to be effective in reducing the level of fine particles in homes to acceptable levels, with some models costing more than 1,000 Singapore dollars (US$620).

Buildings could also install cleaners and other devices for centralized airconditioning systems to minimize the effects of the haze.

On Wednesday, Southeast Asian environment ministers met in Malaysia's Kuching town near East Kalimantan to discuss ways to tackle the fires.

"The meeting noted that the fires of East Kalimantan are of serious concern because of the prolonged dry weather and welcomed any immediate international assistance, especially in enhancing the fire-fighting capacity, " the ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said.