Yahoo News 8 Aug 08;
Thick haze from forest fires shrouded the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan Friday and disrupted air traffic, an airport official said.
"Two planes from Jakarta to Pontianak airport were delayed this morning due to the thick haze," Pontianak airport operational chief Edi Widodo told AFP.
He said the haze -- a recurring problem of the dry season which also affects neighbouring countries -- had hampered visibility since Thursday morning.
"It has happened since yesterday but the most significant disruption was this morning when it reached only 500 metres (yards)," he said.
The number of forest fires on Indonesian Borneo has soared over the past three days due to land clearing, raising concerns of foul air over Malaysia and Singapore.
The dry season from June to the end of September is the period of highest risk for the haze, which contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Haze over Indonesia's Sumatra, flights delayed
Reuters 8 Aug 08;
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Choking smoke from forest fires hung over parts of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, forcing a delay in flights, and prompting fears that conditions could worsen because of lack of rain, officials said.
About 450 hot spots have been detected across Indonesia, and forestry officials have warned that the number could exceed last year's total of 35,000 as the dry season this year is likely to be marked by less rain than usual.
"This morning two planes were delayed for half an hour because the visibility was only 200 meters (656 ft) because smoke and smog shrouded the airport," said Slamet Riyadi, analyst at Riau Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, referring to the airport in Pekanbaru, the provincial capital of Riau.
The number of hotspots had risen to 393 in West Kalimantan island on Borneo island, although the number in Sumatra had decreased after light rain late on Thursday, officials said.
Indonesia's neighbors have grown increasingly frustrated by the annual fires, most of which are deliberately lit by farmers, or by timber and plantation firms, to clear land for cultivation.
Depending on wind patterns, the smoke regularly blows across nearby Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, causing a health hazard and threatening tourism.
Most of the fires so far this year were on land being used for cultivation, although some were in forested areas, said Sonny Partono, head of forest fire control at the forestry ministry.
The ministry has said it is deploying 1,500 personnel to fight fires this year, assisted by community groups.
(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Ed Davies and Sanjeev Miglani)
Haze disrupts air traffic in Indonesia
Flights delayed in Riau, Kalimantan; lack of rain may worsen conditions
Straits Times 9 Aug 08;
JAKARTA: Choking smoke from forest fires hung over parts of Indonesia yesterday, forcing delays in flights and prompting fears that conditions could worsen because of a lack of rain.
About 450 hot spots have been detected across Indonesia, and forestry officials have warned that the number could exceed last year's total of 35,000. This is because the dry season this year is likely to be marked by less rain than usual.
'This morning, two planes were delayed for half an hour as visibility was only 200m because smoke and smog had shrouded the airport,' said Mr Slamet Riyadi, an analyst at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) in Riau, referring to the airport in Pekanbaru, the provincial capital of Riau.
Local stations of the BMG have been issuing warnings about the thickening haze, caused by forest fires that have broken out in several places in South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau over the past few days.
The haze in Padang has exceeded the acceptable level and is dangerous for the human respiratory system, Mr Amarizal, head of information and observation at the BMG Tabing station in West Sumatra, warned on Thursday.
By that day, visibility had fallen to between 50m and 100m, forcing Padang's Minangkabau International Airport to delay a number of flights.
'We also strongly suggest the airport cancel any landings if visibility is low,' Mr Amarizal said.
In South Sumatra, BMG Kenten climatology station head Muhammad Irdam said the province had reached a very high dryness level of 1,575. The normal level is between 1,000 and 1,500.
He called on people to think twice before doing anything that could start a fire.
'Even a cigarette butt could cause a major fire here at this time because of the extreme dryness and strong wind,' he said.
He added that the haze thickness level in the province was still considered normal.
However, it was still enough to disrupt flight schedules at Palembang's Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin (SMB) international airport and land transportation across South Sumatra.
Along the Indralaya-Palembang highway, motorists were forced to move slowly because smoke from burning peat moss fields along the road had reduced visibility.
Officials say the haze is expected to reach its peak in the next two months.
'If no rain falls during the next two months and the temperature rises to 34degC, then there will be a greater likelihood of forest fires here, meaning the haze will be much thicker,' said Mr Setiadi, head of BMG's SMB international airport station.
While the number of hot spots in Sumatra has decreased after light rain late on Thursday, the number in West Kalimantan on Borneo island has risen to 393.
'Two planes from Jakarta to Pontianak airport were delayed this morning due to the thick haze,' Pontianak airport operational chief Edi Widodo told the Agence France-Presse.
'It has happened since yesterday but the most significant disruption was this morning, when visibility reached only 500m,' he said.
Indonesia's neighbours have grown increasingly frustrated by the annual fires, most of which are started deliberately by farmers or timber and plantation firms to clear land for cultivation.
Depending on wind patterns, the smoke regularly blows across nearby Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, causing a health hazard and threatening tourism.
Most of the fires so far this year were on land being used for cultivation, although some were in forested areas, said Mr Sonny Partono, the head of forest fire control at the forestry ministry.
The ministry is deploying 1,500 personnel to fight fires this year, assisted by community groups.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
