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A boat plies along the river past the Marina Bay Sands (centre) as the sky cleared from the haze that has
shrouded Singapore in recent weeks, on October 29, 2015. -AFP
KUALA LUMPUR: Persistent rains have cleared the air across vast stretches of
Southeast Asia that have choked for weeks on hazardous smoke from Indonesian
fires, with officials and citizens expressing hope Thursday the crisis could soon
end.
Parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore enjoyed the cleanest air in two
months, while affected areas of the Philippines and Thailand also gained a respite
from pollution that has sickened hundreds of thousands, disrupted air travel and
fuelled anger at Jakarta.
We can see clouds again! Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen gushed in a
Facebook posting that include a picture of now-unfamiliar blue skies taken from
his office.
I am sure that all of us in Singapore woke up this morning and felt so good that
we had clear blue skies again. Malaysias top weather forecaster declared the
regions rainy season -- crucial to putting out the annual outbreak of smokebelching Indonesian forest and agricultural fires -- had begun.
We should have blue skies and no more haze, Che Gayah Ismail, director-general
of the countrys Meteorological Department, told AFP, adding that any further
smoke would be blown away from the region.
The fires and resulting region-wide pollution occur to varying degrees each year
during the dry season as vast Indonesian plantation lands are illegally cleared by
burning.
Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers (right) and commercial buildings are seen on a clear day in Kuala
Lumpur on October 29, 2015. -AFP
seeding, he added.
The semi-annual crisis brings recurring pressure on Indonesia, which has failed
over the years to rein in the planters accused of starting the fires.
Jakarta agreed earlier this month to accept international help after failing for
weeks to douse the blazes, and has employed dozens of planes and thousands of
personnel on the ground in a fire-fighting campaign.
Residents of Palangkaraya, an Indonesian city on Borneo where the intense fires
have created eerie yellow skies and unbreathable air, expressed relief at seeing
patches of blue up above for the first time.
Schools that were closed for health reasons have begun reopening, and children in
uniforms were seen riding bikes without masks.
A passenger plane prepares to take off from Tjilik Riwut Airport, after intermittent rainfall over the last few days
cleared away the heavy haze which blanketed the city of Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia October 29,
2015. -AFP
TAGS / KEYWORDS:
haze, smog, South East Asia
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