Haze pushes Kuala Lumpur to top of global pollution ranking

Kuala Lumpur was ranked the world’s most polluted major city on Wednesday as smoke from wildfires in Indonesia continued to affect Malaysia and Singapore. Swiss air-quality monitor IQAir recorded an Air Quality Index reading of 166 for the Malaysian capital. Singapore ranked third, with a reading of 155.

IQAir classifies readings above 150 as unhealthy and those above 300 as hazardous. A milky haze has covered both cities for more than a month as smoke has drifted from fires on Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra islands. The pollution has reduced visibility and affected residents’ daily activities.

Izzah Irdina, a 22-year-old recent graduate in Kuala Lumpur, said the haze was affecting health and visibility. She said she had been staying mostly indoors and could no longer see Merdeka 118, the city’s prominent skyscraper. Singapore residents also described health effects.

Darius Chew, an 18-year-old student with allergic rhinitis, said he had reduced his sporting activities because of repeated sneezing. Ryan Ang, another 18-year-old student who has asthma, reported more frequent sneezing and a runny nose, particularly in the mornings and at night. Retired resident Athirah Abdullah, 69, said she spent most of her time indoors and went outside mainly for groceries and prayers.

She said her granddaughter, who has eczema, had been affected by the haze. Transboundary haze is a recurring problem in Southeast Asia. The source material attributes the severity of this episode to hot, dry conditions associated with El Nino, as well as fires linked to land clearing.

Those conditions have made the blazes harder to contain, while residents said they were hoping for rain to bring relief.