Indonesia haze spikes Singapore pollution, shuts Timor Leste schools

SINGAPORE, October 14 - Air quality in parts of Singapore reached a "very high" level on October 14, while schools in East Timor were shut due to haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia. The Indonesian wildfires have scorched hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest and plantations on Borneo and Sumatra islands, causing respiratory issues for local residents and spreading thick haze across the region.

In western Singapore, particulate matter levels, known as PM2.5, surged to 288 micrograms per cubic meter, far exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended annual exposure of five micrograms. Indonesia frequently grapples with wildfires during dry spells, but this year's blazes are more intense due to a strong El Nino cycle resulting in drought and slash-and-burn land-clearing practices altering the naturally fire-resistant landscape of Sumatra and Borneo.

The haze has extended to neighboring nations, including Malaysia and East Timor, which has decided to close schools nationwide for three days starting tomorrow to safeguard students, teachers, and other educational community members. East Timor's government advised residents to stay indoors and use respiratory protection if venturing outside.

Singapore has introduced subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and distributed N95 masks to eligible residents when pollution levels reach "very unhealthy" thresholds. Public transport workers and delivery riders may receive free N95 masks, though uptake has been slow. Residents with asthma, like 57-year-old Ong Kwang Wei, wear N95 masks outdoors and carry inhalers and medication.

In Indonesia, thousands have sought treatment for respiratory illness linked to haze from fires in Borneo, South Sumatra, and Papua. On Sumatra island, a fire destroyed nearly 300 homes, prompting hundreds of evacuations. President Prabowo Subianto ordered maximum efforts to combat the fires, with over 60,000 personnel deployed on the ground.

Malaysia has requested a meeting of regional body Asean and urged a diplomatic protest, stating that Indonesia should be treated as an outcast in the region.