Indonesia: Flights can't land in haze-shrouded Pekanbaru

Singapore at risk as number of hot spots stays high
Zubaidah Nazeer Indonesia Correspondent In Jakarta Straits Times 28 Aug 13;

THICK haze over the provincial capital of Riau has forced almost every single flight to turn back from Pekanbaru airport over the past two days, as the number of hot spots shot up to 488 on Monday.

Visibility has been worsening as the number of hot spots rose to their highest level since June, when the highest haze readings in 16 years were recorded in neighbouring countries.

Schools were closed and people donned masks yesterday as the smell of burning intensified and visibility dropped to less than 500m.

"This morning, the haze was so bad that you can see it in the living room and the burning smell is suffocating," Mr Rusmadya Maharuddin, a Pekanbaru resident and forest campaigner, told The Straits Times by phone yesterday.

The worsening conditions have raised fears of haze shrouding the region again.

In its advisory yesterday, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) said the number of hot spots detected in Sumatra yesterday remained high at 308 and moderate to dense smoke haze was observed to have extended over the Strait of Malacca.

While Singapore may experience hazy conditions, it said that the PSI was expected to be in the "good" band today and the PM2.5 is expected to be slightly elevated.

More worrying is the fact that the return of the haze underlines the lack of progress by Indonesia in stopping the clearing of land by illegal burning. Farmers and big plantation companies continue to defy sanctions and tough talk of clampdowns.

At least one fire was reported closer to Singapore - in Bintan - where farmers were seen burning land to open up areas for harvest, but it did not show up on the NEA's satellite map.

Forest watchers predict hot spots from forest fires could increase until October.

"It is now very hot in Pekanbaru with very little rain. Activities after the (Idul Fitri) break have picked up and that could mean more burnings as this is still the season to clear land," said Mr Rusmadya, a forest campaigner for the Greenpeace group.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has resumed water bombings, cloud-seeding sorties and land operations to snuff out fires.

The spike in hot spots prompted Singapore's Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan to take to Facebook on Monday.

"An exercise in frustration - big increase in hot spots (488) in Sumatra today. We have been spared so far because of wind direction," he wrote.

"We remain at risk. Have to keep up the pressure on Indonesian authorities and companies to do the right thing for the sake of their own citizens and ours."

BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho urged the Forestry, Agriculture and Environment and other agencies to step up monitoring and enforcement.

"Implementing the law is the key to overcoming land and forest burnings," he said.

297 hotspots for forest fires detected in Riau
Antara 27 Aug 13;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Terra and Aqua satellite has detected 297 hotspots for forest fires throughout the Riau Province, according to the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology, and geophysics station (BMKG).

"In Sumatra, the highest number of hotspots is still in Riau, with 297 of them, a significant increase from the 37 hotspots seen the previous day," Tri Puryanti, an analyst with the Pekanbaru BMKG, said here on Tuesday.

The hotspots have created a haze that is currently polluting the air of Riau`s cities and districts.

Pelalawan District alone has more than 100 hotspots, and others were found in the Indragiri Hulu District, Indragiri Hilir, and Kampar, Puryanti noted.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), quoting NOAA 18 Satellite`s data, announced that Riau`s 10 districts and cities have a total of 264 hotspots.

Pelalawan District has 76 hotspots, while Indragiri Hulu has 42; Rokan Hilir, 34; Indragiri Hilir, 29; Kampar, 26; Bengkalis, 20; Siak, 11; Rokan Hulu, 8; and Dumai City, 4.

BNPB pointed out that other provinces on Sumatra Island also have hotspots.

The NOAA 18 satellite has detected 100 hotspots in West Sumatra, while Jambi has 57; South Sumatra, 31; Bengkulu, 15; and North Sumatra, 12.

The haze produced by this collection of hotspots has drastically reduced visibility in Pekanbaru to only 500 meters on Tuesday morning.

Several flight schedules had to be postponed, and flight arrivals were diverted to Medan (North Sumatra) and Batam (Riau Island).

The fastest and cheapest way to clear new land for planting crops is by burning; however, this practice has been banned by the government. (*)

Editor: Heru

Sumatra's haze might affect Malaysia due to wind direction
Antara 27 Aug 13;

Pekanbaru, Riau Province (ANTARA News) - Haze from land-clearance fires in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, might affect Malaysia, with the wind blowing toward the neighboring country, said a weather analyst.

"Based on our analysis, the wind in Riau is blowing from Southeast to Southwest direction at a maximum speed of 30 km per hour. Its direction is towards Malacca Strait," said Warih Budi Lestari, an analyst of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics station, on Tuesday.

If the wind direction does not change, haze problem might return to Malaysia, like what had happened several months ago, he added.

In June 2013, Malaysia declared a state of emergency in some areas after air pollution from illegal burning of forests and peat lands in Indonesia reached hazardous levels.

The Terra and Aqua satellite has detected 297 hotspots from forest fires throughout Riau Province, according to the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology, and geophysics station (BMKG).

"In Sumatra, the highest number of hotspots is still in Riau, with 297 of them, a significant increase from the 37 hotspots seen the previous day," Tri Puryanti, an analyst with the Pekanbaru BMKG, said here on Tuesday.

The hotspots have created a haze that is currently polluting the air of Riau`s cities and districts.

Pelalawan District alone has more than 100 hotspots, and others were found in the Indragiri Hulu District, Indragiri Hilir, and Kampar, Puryanti noted.

The haze reduced visibility in Pekanbaru to around 500 meters on Tuesday morning. (*)

Editor: Heru