With the Pollution Standards Index (PSI) having reached not only record-breaking, but also hazardous levels yesterday, has Singapore finally reached its breaking point?
The haze first started when forest fires broke out in the Sumatra region a few days ago. Much pressure has been put on the Indonesian government since, to take action against the illegal burning of forests, especially in the Riau province which is typically deforested for oil palm plantations.
Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan acknowledged early yesterday that Singaporeans are "very frustrated, angry and distressed about the situation". Many government agencies such as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) have either stopped outfield training completely, or have scaled down physical training till further notice. Even fast-food chains such as McDonald’s have stopped delivery services indefinitely. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is prepared to introduce stop-work orders in addition to schools, childcare centres and sports complexes shutting down, if the haze continues to worsen. It seems then, that the haze has brought Singapore not only to a standstill, but to its knees.
It is a pity though, that all the haze has literally fogged up our perspective. The haze is at extremely unhealthy levels and could adversely affect the health of some, and therefore should be treated seriously. However, it also has had an unintended effect. It has made Singaporeans bitter towards our neighbours and worse still, made us self-centred. We are obsessed with checking our hourly PSI readings and complaining about it, rather than just adapting to the situation. Facebook newsfeeds and Twitter updates are clouded with individuals yammering on about the haze, so much so that it has become a trend. We tend to forget that we aren’t the only ones caught up in the haze problem.
Just to put things into perspective, our Malaysian counterparts are also experiencing high levels of haze and continue to be engulfed by blight. With their PSI readings in skyrocketing to 161 on Saturday itself, Malaysian authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency in two areas closest to its port. Muar, Johor also currently has Singapore-esque PSI levels of 383. Neighbours aside, if we actually think about the haze problem, we know that this too, will eventually pass. However, what about places such as New Delhi? Where the people of Anand Vihar have to constantly live with air pollution levels perpetually set at a whopping 429. Or perhaps Beijing, where the median PSI level is also around 138? Can we not spare a thought for them, and appreciate the fact that out of 365 days in a year, only 5 of them plagues us with haze?
In hindsight then, it is easy to see that the haze has got Singaporeans acting like we are ‘the good china, only meant to be used once in a while’, because we are so fragile. This definitely shouldn’t be the case. While the haze is a pertinent issue that does need to be tackled immediately, it is also temporary, and something which we can confidently tackle without major issues. However, in the meantime, instead of persistently complaining about it, perhaps it is time we all just pull our socks up, take the necessary precautions, stop playing the blame-game, and work together to adapt to the situation.
Sources: The Straits Times, Today Online, Real-Time Air Quality Index (AQI)