00:00For weeks, people in Singapore have been grappling with haze caused by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
00:07At this neighbourhood home appliance store, air purifiers are selling fast.
00:12Co-owner Mahesh Primalani says keeping enough stock to meet demand is a challenge.
00:18We're getting them in every morning, but we need more.
00:21There are also people who are coming in, pulling out their old air purifiers,
00:24trying to buy replacement filters for them, just to clean them up and have them running again.
00:27Other retailers are also reporting a surge in sales,
00:30with several air purifier models from brands such as Chinese appliance maker Xiaomi sold out.
00:36In recent days, air quality in parts of Singapore has deteriorated to the city-state's worst category.
00:43Data from air quality monitoring platform IQ Air has placed Singapore among the world's most polluted major cities.
00:50Protective items, including face masks, are also being snapped up.
00:56For some, the conditions have brought about new commercial avenues.
01:01Brice Tejeta, from France, runs a green tech company that specialises in energy-saving solutions for air conditioners.
01:08These ceramic nets are designed to improve energy efficiency and are primarily marketed to commercial property owners and other large
01:15-scale operators.
01:17But with air quality now a growing concern, the company is also highlighting the product's potential air purification benefits,
01:24and it's capturing a new market segment.
01:27We were not really focused on individuals before.
01:34It's just that now, with the haze, because we know that we can help people further with our existing solution,
01:42then basically we make it available.
01:44Despite the boost for businesses selling haze-related products, the wider economy could be left gasping.
01:50One expert estimates the conditions could cost Singapore more than $3 billion, the costliest haze episode on record.
01:58The impact is already being felt on the ground.
02:02Some food and beverage outlets say business has fallen by more than 50%.
02:06Most people will be staying at homes or even in the hotels, they will not be coming out because of
02:11the haze when it's bad.
02:13Disrupted outdoor work, a dip in tourism and weaker business activity could all take their toll.
02:19This year, the damage has been compounded by unusually severe conditions.
02:23It's a combination of both El Nino and the winds bringing the haze over to Singapore,
02:30carrying the haze over to Singapore, which we typically don't experience on an annual basis.
02:35So that's what makes this haze episode really bad here.
02:41Lo Ying Hui heads PM Haze, a local group campaigning against transboundary haze in Southeast Asia.
02:47It's launched a petition urging Singapore to hold companies linked to the fires to account.
02:53Many of the fires are caused by slash-and-burn land clearing in Indonesia's plantation sector.
02:59Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act allows authorities to pursue companies responsible for haze pollution.
03:05Even if they operate overseas. But critics say enforcement has been weak.
03:11More than a decade after the 2015 haze crisis, investigations into Indonesian companies remain unresolved.
03:18There are still investigations ongoing on fall companies that have been happening over a decade now and with no resolution.
03:26So what kind of message does that send to a company, right?
03:31Many people feel powerless to stop the haze.
03:34Like others with the means, Brice, who has two young children, is temporarily relocating.
03:39It's just that I feel this is not healthy for anybody now, and kids specifically.
03:46Those without that choice are paying the price with their health.
03:50Next day this event is something you should not try it once.
03:51You could apply�� back home to functions.
03:51More than one Hoy be wheels.
03:51It is getting adjusted for cooking to exercise.
