HONG KONG — The pollution that has been afflicting Singapore this week soared to record levels on Thursday, as local officials pressed Indonesia to curtail widespread forestry burning that they say is causing the stubborn haze enveloping the city-state.
The Pollution Standards Index hit 371 at 1 p.m., topping the previous record for the city of 226, which was set in 1997. Health officials consider any level above 300 to be hazardous to residents’ health.
Residents were urged to remain indoors, while flight controllers at Changi Airport were told to take extra precautions in directing flights. In neighboring Malaysia, more than 200 schools were ordered closed because of the pollution.
The persistence of the pollution has tested ties with Indonesia, where farmers in Sumatra often burn forests at this time of year as a cheap way of preparing the land for new plantings. While such burning violates local laws, Indonesian officials have failed to control the problem.
“No country or corporation has the right to pollute the air at the expense of Singaporeans’ health and well-being,” Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s environment minister, said in calling for Indonesian action to curb the fires.
Indonesian officials say Malaysia and Singapore deserve part of the blame because their companies control many of the palm oil plantations where the burning takes place.
An Indonesian official on Thursday struck back at the criticism from Singapore. Agung Laksono, the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, said “Singapore shouldn’t be like children, in such a tizzy,” according to the Straits Times of Singapore.
The problems in Singapore and Malaysia come at a time of increasing concern about pollution levels across Asia, particularly in China, where pollution readings this year have been at least 30 percent higher than in previous years.
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