Singapore haze may persist for weeks, reach hazardous levels: Grace Fu

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Thank you. Good afternoon, media of members of the media. Thank you for joining us. We know that many Singaporeans are concerned about how the haze may develop and what this means for our daily lives over the coming days

and week. I will cover a few issues and then I'll pass it on to my colleagues to cover the rest. The issues that I will cover are what we can expect. Number two, what each of us can do

to protect ourselves and our community, updates on mass distribution efforts and also share with you our engagements with Indonesian the Indonesia with on the situation uh and also uh some of the updates that we have with them. I

will then pass the time to my colleagues to provide updates on the measures in their respective sectors. First, what can expect the haze outlook? We should be prepared for the haze to persist for some time. The situation is

fluid. Depending on the weather, we can expect air quality to fluctuate, including the possibility of reaching hazardous level. However, as we transit to the inter monsoon period towards the end of October or early November, we expect the situation

to improve. And that is another three to four weeks to go. We expect winds around Singapore to become lighter then and more variable in direction. So it is less likely to bring haze from Sumatra or Kalimantan to Singapore.

Looking further ahead when the northeast monsoon brings wind from the north to northeast north and northeast. This is around early December. Any haze from Sumatra and Khalim Mantan will blow in the direction away from Singapore. The next what

each of us can do to protect ourselves and our families. How do we interpret the air quality indicators? We'll provide timely information so everyone can take sensible precautions. There are two key indicators to monitor. the 24-hour PSI which

is an index and the one hour PM2.5 which is one particularly air pollutant and the reading they serve different purposes. The 24-hour PSI reading gives a picture of air quality over a longer period is useful for assessing sustained

exposure. The 1 hour PN 2.5 reading tell us more about current conditions and that's useful because air quality can change quickly. Both indicators should be considered together. For example, high 24hour PSI good condition generally I mean it's going

into unhealthy level PSI 24 hours but low 1 hour PM2.5 may indicate that current conditions have improved although cumulative exposure remains a concern. a low 24-hour PSI, a low 24-hour PSI, which is generally good condition with a high

1 hour 20 PM 2.5 reading may indicate that conditions have recently worsened even though longer term average has not risen yet. And that was what happened on Wednesday. We see a sudden spike in the PM 2.5 reading particularly

in the western So when planning for activity failing for the next day, the 24-hour PSI forecast is useful. 24-hour PSI forecast is useful for planning activity the following day. I've asked NEA to make this information clearer on their

website and app. So you can look at the PSI forecast beforehand and maybe a day before and then decide whether you want to continue planning the activity for the next day and during the day itself before just before

the activity is undertaken. Track the latest 1 hour PM2.5 reading in your area. Assess the activity and the people involved and adjust accordingly. For individuals, the decision on what activity you can undertake will depend on first where you

are because different are doing, the type of activities, whether it's strainous, whether it is prolonged and the prevailing air quality and your own health and physical condition. For example, you're planning for a group run the next day. the

next day. Check the two 24-hour PSI forecast. If the condition allows for outdoor strainous activity and your fellow runners are relatively young and fit people, you may proceed to plan for the run. Agree to meet a certain time

and agree to gather at a certain point. But before setting off for your run, check the 1 hour PM 2.5 again to ascertain the air quality. And if there is a spike into a different band, particularly if you

see that you know the air quality seems to have deteriorated, check the 1 hour PM 2.5 and if it has elevated then you should cancel the run. Do take the necessary precautions. check in on family members and friends

who may be more vulnerable to the haze. And this is especially so for seniors, pregnant women, young children, and those with chronic heart and lung conditions. The third part is on measures the government has put in place to

support Singaporeans through this period. Agencies have plans in place to protect our students, workers, and more vulnerable groups. This includes measures for schools, preschools and workplaces which I'll ask my colleagues to elaborate further on. I have taken practical

steps, we have taken practical steps to support those who may be more vulnerable to the effects of haze. We started distributing haze masks to vulnerable Singaporeans on 14th of October. All 37 vending machines will be deployed by tonight.

All CC's have started mask distribution. Around 10% of eligible Singaporeans have collected their mask. On availability of mask, I want to assure everyone that there are sufficient stocks of mass available. We understand that sometimes masks may be temporarily

unavailable at some retail outlets because of increased demand, but we want to assure Singaporeans that there are sufficient stocks of mass in their retailers warehouse and in the government stock piles. The retailers are continuously replenishing their shelves at

the stores. Hayes task force is working closely with retailers to ensure the availability of masks to the public. We are monitoring the situation and working closely with our partners to ensure that those who need masks can access them.

We will undertake another round of mass distribution if the haze condition warrants it. The fourth part updates on billet agree engagements and the trans boundary haze protection acts enforcement. We have been in touch with our Indonesian counterparts over

the past few months and had earlier offered our support for their firefighting efforts. I spoke with my Indonesian counterpart, Minister for Environment, Park Jumor, last month. The chief executive officer of NEA has also written to and called her

Indonesian counterpart to convey our readiness to support their efforts. We answer then we understand that the conditions they're dealing with are tricky and we stand ready to assist where we can. We have read from the media that they

are open to assistance. I have communicated with my counterpart again today. I've offered both civilian assistance to support firefighting efforts as well as other measures such as cloud seeding support. I have a yet to hear from him, but

we are prepared to provide assistance that Indonesia thinks is suitable and will continue to engage them on this. Next on THPA, NEA has been actively tracking hotspots and smoke plumes from fires in the contributed to the haze episode.

This involves analyzing satellite imagery and methological data to identify the likely source of haste. Establishing the companies responsible requires information from various sources and not all of the information rests within the Singapore jurisdiction. We draw information from concession

maps, mutological data, and satellite imagery, some of which are from open sources to identify the companies. Our investigation so far suggests that some of the haste experienced in Singapore originated from fires on the lands of seven companies in

Indonesia. NEA will send preventive measure notices under the THPA to these seven companies and inform them to do the following things. One, deploy firefighting personnel to extinguish or prevent the spread of any fire on land owned or occupied

by them. Two, discontinue or not commence any burning activities on such land. and three submit to NEA their action plans to extinguish any fires on their lands and or to prevent their recurrence. We will share the list of

companies with media and the public separately because it's a long list of seven companies with Indonesian names. So we better to give it to you on paper. NA is committed to investigating all errand companies found responsible for crossing

transboundary haze in Singapore. NEA will issue preventive measure notices to more companies and consider other measures under the THPA if there are indications that they cause fires resulting in transpoundary haze. We will continue to monitor the situation and

the company's responses to these notices. Where warranted, we will take further action under the THPA based on the information and evidence available. The experience from past cases have given us a better understanding of the practical challenges involved in

investigating transboundary haste offenses. We will also draw on lessons from past cases as we assess the current haze episodes and consider what further action may be warranted under the THPA. In conclusion, this haze episode may last a few

more weeks. We hope everyone can do their part. Use information wisely. Make practical adjustments to our routines. We can achieve as much normality as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, adjust our measures as conditions change,

and keep Singaporeans updated. Thank you.