Residents in the deep South affected by haze blown in from Indonesia's Sumatra Island are being warned to wear face masks and avoid prolonged outdoor activities.
The warning was issued by Songklanagarind Hospital in Hat Yai district of Songkhla, one of four provinces in the South blanketed by haze from smoke generated by forest fires in Sumatra. The other provinces battling smoke are Yala, Phatthalung and Satun.
It was reported that a thick haze was hanging over the entire downtown area of Hat Yai yesterday.
Air quality in Hat Yai city centre has dipped in recent days with the amount of dust particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) peaking at 102 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/cu/m) yesterday.
The health authorities said the situation was edging close to the danger level of 120 ug/cu m or over.
Despite the level registering below the danger limit yesterday, Songklanagarind Hospital has warned people in affected areas to take precautions when going outdoors.
It said residents should avoid remaining outdoors for long periods. When outside, people should wear a face mask, it added.
People with heart conditions, the elderly, pregnant women and children should refrain from outdoor exercise. Those with chronic illnesses should also take medication as directed by their doctors, the hospital said.
A local source said the haze was caused by fires in forests on Sumatra. On Sunday, a total of 62 fires were detected on the island.
The number of fires fell to 53 on Monday, 41 on Tuesday and to only eight on Wednesday.
In Phatthalung, residents in haze-blanketed areas had complained of unusually hot temperatures in recent days, although the situation was gradually improving.
The source said haze has also hit many parts of Malaysia hard, as well as Singapore.
In August 2016, Indonesia gave assurance to its Southeast Asian neighbours that measures have been put in place to prevent the perennial problem of thick smog blanketing the region because of forest fires and slash-and-burn farming practices of plantation owners.
The assurance came after Indonesia was put on the spot at a meeting of environment ministers from the 10-member Asean bloc in Kuala Lumpur.
"The Indonesian government has a strong commitment to preventing land and forest fires in the initial stage," Arief Yuwono, the senior energy adviser to Indonesia's environment and forestry minister, told a joint news conference at the end of the one-day meeting.
He said the Indonesian government was targeting capacity-building in local communities, with such initiatives as setting up fire brigades in some 700 villages.
