Singapore urges Indonesia to take immediate measures over worsening haze
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Picture of Klang Lane taken at 9.20 pm. The SINGAPORE government has urged the Indonesian authorities to take urgent measures to halt transboundary haze, as the haze clouding Singapore's skies crossed into the unhealthy range on Monday. -- PHOTO: VICTOR TAN JUN YANG
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Picture taken from Esplanade bridge about 12.40pm on June 17, 2013. The haze clouding Singapore's skies crossed into the unhealthy range on Monday. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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The haze at Botanic Gardens around 7pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
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Pedestrians wait at a traffic light along Orchard Road around 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
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The haze seen from Raffles City Tower at 6.09pm on Monday, June 7, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN
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The haze seen from Pinnacle @Duxton at 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING
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The haze seen from Toa Payoh North at 7pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
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The haze seen from Raffles City Tower at 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
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Zooming in on some of the hotspots. These are likely of land being cleared for oil palm planting in Riau - the grid lines are drainage canals. This image shows an approximately 5km by 5km area. -- PHOTO: CENTRE FOR REMOTE IMAGINE, SENSING & PROCESSING (Crisp), NUS
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Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. Photo taken about 2.30pm. -- PHOTO: PEN HEN LIU
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Chinatown Point. Photo taken at 11am. -- PHOTO: CAROL HO
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Millenia Tower. Photo taken at about 3pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: VERON C
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Lorong Chuan. Photo taken at about 2.50pm. -- PHOTO: MONA CHEW
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Paya Lebar, Ubi area. Photo taken at 2.55pm. -- PHOTO: SALLY LIM
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Photo taken from Twin Regency condominium towards Tiong Bahru Plaza. -- PHOTO: JEAN PONG
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Photo taken from Tanjong Pagar Int'l Plaza at about 1pm. -- PHOTO: LOI MOOI LENG
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Toa Payoh. Photo taken at about 1.30pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER OllaElle
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Bukit Batok. Photo taken at about 1.48pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER VANNVANZ
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Jalan Teck Whye. Photo taken at about 2pm on Monday. PHOTO: MARCO ROSITO
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Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Photo taken at about 2pm on Monday. PHOTO: TWITTER USER fashioncancer
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Pasir Ris. Photo taken at 2.52pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER Alvinarainbows
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Bukit Merah. Photo taken at 2.55pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: ISHAM BAHARI
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Photo taken from Jalan Besar area at 3.30pm. -- PHOTO: SERENE VUN
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Photo taken in the Orchard area at about 4pm. -- PHOTO: KEVIN CROMBIE
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Bedok North Avenue 1. Photo taken at 2.30pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: ALICIA IZAH
Picture of Klang Lane taken at 9.20 pm. The SINGAPORE government has urged the Indonesian authorities to take urgent measures to halt transboundary haze, as the haze clouding Singapore's skies crossed into the unhealthy range on Monday. -- PHOTO: VICTOR TAN JUN YANG
Picture taken from Esplanade bridge about 12.40pm on June 17, 2013. The haze clouding Singapore's skies crossed into the unhealthy range on Monday. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The haze at Botanic Gardens around 7pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
Pedestrians wait at a traffic light along Orchard Road around 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
The haze seen from Raffles City Tower at 6.09pm on Monday, June 7, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN
The haze seen from Pinnacle @Duxton at 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING
The haze seen from Toa Payoh North at 7pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
The haze seen from Raffles City Tower at 6pm on Monday, June 17, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Zooming in on some of the hotspots. These are likely of land being cleared for oil palm planting in Riau - the grid lines are drainage canals. This image shows an approximately 5km by 5km area. -- PHOTO: CENTRE FOR REMOTE IMAGINE, SENSING & PROCESSING (Crisp), NUS
Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. Photo taken about 2.30pm. -- PHOTO: PEN HEN LIU
Chinatown Point. Photo taken at 11am. -- PHOTO: CAROL HO
Millenia Tower. Photo taken at about 3pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: VERON C
Lorong Chuan. Photo taken at about 2.50pm. -- PHOTO: MONA CHEW
Paya Lebar, Ubi area. Photo taken at 2.55pm. -- PHOTO: SALLY LIM
Photo taken from Twin Regency condominium towards Tiong Bahru Plaza. -- PHOTO: JEAN PONG
Photo taken from Tanjong Pagar Int'l Plaza at about 1pm. -- PHOTO: LOI MOOI LENG
Toa Payoh. Photo taken at about 1.30pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER OllaElle
Bukit Batok. Photo taken at about 1.48pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER VANNVANZ
Jalan Teck Whye. Photo taken at about 2pm on Monday. PHOTO: MARCO ROSITO
Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Photo taken at about 2pm on Monday. PHOTO: TWITTER USER fashioncancer
Pasir Ris. Photo taken at 2.52pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: TWITTER USER Alvinarainbows
Bukit Merah. Photo taken at 2.55pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: ISHAM BAHARI
Photo taken from Jalan Besar area at 3.30pm. -- PHOTO: SERENE VUN
Photo taken in the Orchard area at about 4pm. -- PHOTO: KEVIN CROMBIE
Bedok North Avenue 1. Photo taken at 2.30pm on Monday. -- PHOTO: ALICIA IZAH
THE SINGAPORE government has urged the Indonesian authorities to take urgent measures to halt transboundary haze, as the haze clouding Singapore's skies crossed into the unhealthy range on Monday.
At 11pm, the PSI was 150 - the highest since 1997, when the index peaked at 226.
Any reading above 100 is considered unhealthy.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he is "deeply concerned that the 113 hotspots detected over Sumatra (on 17 June 2013) have led to such a bad haze in Singapore".
He said the Government has been in touch with the Indonesian authorities "to register our concern, and renew our offer of assistance".
He will also speak to the Indonesian Environment Minister personally "to convey the seriousness of the situation".
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide further updates when necessary.
The haze was visible across the island, shrouding landmarks like Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer on Monday. NEA said hazy conditions are expected to persist for the next few days.
People with heart and lung disease; children and older adults are advised to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
Smoke from forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra island, some deliberately started to clear forests for planting, has been carried by winds from the west and south-west to Singapore this week and to Malaysia, where it reached unhealthy levels over the weekend.
The number of Sumatran hot spots has been rising: on June 15, there were 101 hot spots, while on Sunday there were 138.
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Put the brakes on bus drivers' sudden stopsIT IS heartening to note that SBS Transit is adding more buses and routes and employing more service controllers to improve time schedules ("SBS Transit hiring more controllers to improve bus services"; last Saturday). However, with more bus drivers, attention needs to be paid to ensuring the quality of driving as well. In Singapore, many among the ageing population have to use public transport. Many a time, as the bus jerks to a sudden stop, the frail and elderly are tossed from side to side. Even the younger passengers have to hold on for dear life. Quite a number of bus drivers seem to be clueless about what is happening in the bus cabins. The new buses seem to have very sensitive brakes and the drivers have problems providing a smooth ride. Some drivers stop the vehicles a distance from the bus stop so passengers have to go down the steep steps and then climb the kerb. A small number of senior citizens have reported falls but I believe that more go unreported. The situation is so bad that bus drivers who do their jobs well are truly memorable. In my experience, the ones who drive wheelchair-accessible buses are examples of drivers who provide good service. Bad driving is one problem that must be tackled immediately, before accidents on board buses occur. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has to take the lead on this issue as the public transport operators have their hands full with other problems. The LTA should conduct spot checks to assess the situation while forms should be provided on board buses to make it easier for passengers to give feedback. Francis Chowdhurie Most Popular
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