Haze Is Back!

The dreaded haze is back! The last two days were a problem. You could smell the acridity in the air, although the API (Air Pollution Index) for K.L was moderate.

Today the haze has cleared somewhat, and this is because of a change in wind direction.

Yesterday some 500 hot spots were detected in Sumatra and Borneo.

KLCC Shrouded By Haze

How long will the haze last this time around?

Nobody knows for certain, but judging from past experience it may be a month or even two. It is a perennial problem, caused largely by the clearing of forests for plantations and land for farming and peat fires in Indonesia especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

It is a problem, however, that nobody seems to have the political will/stamina to want to solve even though the financial and health costs are high. For the 1997 haze, for example, take a look at the Wikipedia entry.

For us ordinary Malaysians, it is that time of the year when you wished you had this magic wane to blow away the haze. And meantime, face masks?