Haze returns with hot spots in Riau and Kalimantan

Easterly winds keep haze for now in Indonesia, where dry weather is forecast
Salim Osman, Straits Times 21 May 08;

JAKARTA - THE haze has returned to Riau and Kalimantan and could threaten Singapore if the winds change direction.

Many hot spots have popped up in several Indonesian provinces.

Poor visibility in Pontianak in Kalimantan forced the authorities to close the airport there for about an hour on Monday, but it reopened yesterday as the skies cleared somewhat.

In Riau's capital, Pekan Baru, visibility was moderate and the airport stayed open yesterday.

Forest fires, which had been confined to West Kalimantan, spread to South Kalimantan yesterday.

The wind was blowing from the west to east, and the haze had enveloped many parts of Riau, including Pekan Baru.

Meteorological and Geophysics Centre analyst Slamet Riyadi said in Pekan Baru that the winds would continue to be easterly today, and the haze would affect mainly areas in the province.

'But if the wind direction changes to the north, the haze will be blown towards Singapore and Malaysia,' he added.

The region has been hit by haze from forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo almost yearly since 1997.

The problem prompted Asean member countries affected by it to help Indonesia fight illegal burning. A meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur just last month to step up those efforts, as dry weather is forecast for the months ahead.

The weather station in Riau's capital said the dry season had already started in Sumatra, with hundreds of hot spots appearing in recent days.

Officials and environmentalists say the forest and land fires in Riau and Kalimantan are the result of plantations and farms using the banned slash-and-

burn method to clear land. This usually goes on until August.

'No rain has been predicted for the next five days in Riau as the dry weather is expected to continue,' said Mr Slamet.

The number of hot spots in Riau yesterday was 75, down from 96 a day earlier as firefighters rushed to douse the fires.

The National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration had recorded as many as 181 hot spots on Saturday.

Visibility was reported to be good in Pekan Baru at 4km, while it was about 500m in Rokan Hilir, the site of the forest fires.

Mr Nahrowi, a state environment officer in Rokan Hilir district, about 200km from the Riau capital, said the fires that had raged there had been put out by the local fire brigade and firefighters from the forestry department.

But thick smoke continued to rise from the forest as Rokan Hilir is located in an area of peat soil in which burning embers continued to smoulder deep down in the earth.

'The thick smoke is affecting the environment, producing haze in our region,' he said.

The haze has also engulfed many parts of West Kalimantan. Visibility in Pontianak, the capital, was down to 300m.

There were 28 hot spots in West Kalimantan on Monday, according to reports.

Its governor, Mr Cornelius, has ordered the authorities to fight the fires and stop those responsible for them.

'This method of clearing land is affecting the environment,' he was quoted as saying by the Pontianak Post online yesterday.

South Kalimantan yesterday reported the start of some forest fires. There were 20 hot spots in the province.