Singapore steps up measures as transboundary haze persists

Singapore has established an inter-agency task force and introduced additional measures to tackle transboundary haze, which had affected the country for 13 consecutive days as of Saturday.

Since October 5, air quality in Singapore has remained below safe standards, at times reaching "unhealthy" and "very unhealthy" levels.

The National Environment Agency said it is monitoring regional fire hotspots and the movement of haze in an effort to identify companies that may be responsible for the pollution.

Singapore's Ministry of Education said that if conditions worsen, it may consider temporarily closing schools and shifting students from preschool through secondary school to home-based learning.

Experts say forest and peatland fires in Indonesia are among the main causes of the haze. Land clearing by burning, drying peatlands and weather conditions linked to El Nino have contributed to the fires.

Prevailing southwest monsoon winds have carried smoke from Indonesia toward Singapore, affecting tourism, outdoor dining, construction and aviation.

Meteorologists expect conditions to improve as the southwest monsoon gradually gives way to the northeast monsoon, with winds likely to carry the haze away from Singapore between mid-November and early December.

According to CCTV+, Singapore authorities continue to monitor air quality and are preparing additional measures if conditions deteriorate further.