Zakir Hussain Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta And Jonathan Kwok
Straits Times 19 Jun 13;
WHILE the skies above Singapore cleared a little yesterday, the Pollutant Standards Index reading in the coastal city of Dumai, Riau, hit 341 at 4pm as fires continued to rage in neighbouring districts.
"The situation is very critical. These are emergency conditions," city government spokesman Darmawan told The Straits Times.
Visibility was down to 50m in some parts, he said, adding that local officials will meet today to discuss response measures.
Streets in Dumai were near empty as many people stayed indoors, and health officials reminded residents to drink lots of water and wear masks when outside.
In nearby Mandau district, residents complained of pharmacies running out of masks, saying the government should have stocked up. Officials advised them to use handkerchiefs or shawls for now.
But the haze, which many said was at its worst in at least a decade, drew little attention in the Indonesian media outside Riau.
The Democratic Party MP for Riau, Mr Sutan Sukarnotomo, told The Straits Times that the situation was complex. "Oil palm plantations create employment and drive up incomes in the province. But at the same time, they destroy peatland. And in dry seasons, it is very easy for peatlands to burn."
On Monday, Forestry Ministry official Hadi Daryanto sought to shift some of the blame, telling Agence France-Presse that not only local farmers use the slash-and-burn method, "but also employees of oil palm investors, including Singaporean and Malaysian companies".
"We hope the governments of Malaysia and Singapore will tell their investors to adopt proper measures so we can solve this problem together," he said.
Larger Indonesian companies listed in Singapore said yesterday they have strict "zero burning" policies and use mechanical methods like bulldozers to clear land.
A spokesman for palm oil producer Golden Agri-Resources said the company intensifies its fire surveillance patrols during dry months and reports to the local authorities if illegal fires are started near its estates.
Fellow palm oil giant Wilmar International said the company is committed to a no-burn practice. It also has a fire management programme that includes community awareness campaigns and fire management training.
Dumai airport cancels two flights due to haze
Antara 19 Jun 13;
Dumai, Riau province (ANTARA News) - Dumai city`s airport in Riau province cancels two flights here on Wednesday due to thick haze from the forest fire that hit the area, the airport management`s spokesman, Catur Hargowo, said.
"Current visibility at the airport is below 1,000 meters due to haze. Therefore we are cancelling two flights today namely from Sky Aviation and Pelita Air," he said.
However Catur said the airport will not be closed down. "We only cancels two flights which will carry regular passengers and employees of oil company Pertamina and Chevron," he added.
Meanwhile Dumai city`s Chief of Forestry Office Hadiyono said his staff are still trying to extinguish the forest fire which happen in various locations in the city," he said.
Meanwhile Marjoko Santoso, the head of the Dumai health office, said haze from forest fire in Sumatra has increased the number of respiratory problem cases in Dumai, Riau Province, over the past few weeks.
In the early June 2013, the number of respiratory problems was 351 cases and increased to 393 cases now.
The increase reached around four to five percent every week and 0.8 to one percent per day, he said.
He urged Dumai residents particularly children, pregnant women, senior citizens and asthma patients, to stay indoor when the city is being covered by haze.
The Dumai health office has distributed 25,000 face masks to people on streets.
Some 138 hot spots from forest fire were detected across Sumatra Island, an increase from 83 hot spots on the previous day.(*)
Editor: Heru
