Forest-Fire Haze Harming Air Quality in Indonesia, Singapore
- Readings in Parts of Sumatra Deemed `Very Unhealthy''
- Smog is Caused by Farmers Burning Trees to Clear Land
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Smog caused by slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia is continuing to foul air quality as far away as Singapore, with readings in some parts of Sumatra island deemed “very unhealthy.”
A gauge of tiny air-pollution particles was at 344.90 as of 10 a.m. in Palembang, in the southern part of Sumatra, just beneath the dividing line between “very unhealthy” and “hazardous.” That was down from a reading of 515.63 at 4 a.m, well into hazardous territory, according to Indonesia’s meteorology agency.