Pollution levels reached a new record high for a third day in a row in Singapore, as smoky haze from fires in Indonesia shrouded the city state. The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 401 at 12:00 on Friday (04:00 GMT) – the highest in the country’s history.
The haze is also affecting Malaysia, with another 100 schools closed in the south of the country. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong warned on Thursday that the haze could remain in place for weeks.
“We can’t tell how this problem is going to develop because it depends on the burning, it depends on the weather, it depends on the wind,” he said.
“It can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in Sumatra which may be September or October.”
I – Word Understanding
Third day in a row – for three consecutive days
Shrouded – covered
Haze – dust, smoke or mist that has filled the air, making it difficult to see clearly
II – Have your say
1. Slash-and-burn is an agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields.
It is used in Indonesia since it is the cheapest land-clearing method.
But….it is highly destructive.
2. Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families.
