Indonesia: Haze Threatens to Return as Riau Burns Again

Camelia Pasandaran and Dessy Sagita Jakarta Globe 27 Aug 13;


A map from the Indonesian meteorological service shows the increased number of hotspots in Sumatra on Tuesday. (Image courtesy of BPNB)

Singapore and Indonesian officials traded barbs on Tuesday as the haze crisis that cast a shadow on the two countries’ relations in June threatened to reemerge.

“An exercise in frustration — big increase in hot spots (488) in Sumatra today,” Singapore’s Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said on Facebook. “We have been spared so far because of wind direction.”

Air quality in Singapore remained at “good” levels on Tuesday afternoon, within a range of 26-35. Singapore’s air degraded to “very hazardous” levels on June 21, breaking 400 on the Pollutant Standards Index, the city state’s National Environment Agency reported.

“We remain at risk,” Balakrishnan said. “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.”

The head of Singapore’s National Environment Agency, Ronnie Tay, said he had spoken with his counterparts in Indonesia about the acute increase in hotspots.

Tay wrote in a public release that meteorological forecasts for the next few days predicted southerly and southeasterly winds flowing over the Strait of Malacca. A shift to a more southwesterly wind direction could, however, bring haze back to Singapore.

Forestry Ministry spokesman Sumarto confirmed to the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday that the number of hotspots was increasing, but denied the total was as high as the 488 reported by Lion City authorities.

“According to [Indonesia’s] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], there are 265 hotspots as of this morning,” he said. “Yesterday, 101 hotspots were recorded — a major jump from last week’s 19-25 hotspots.”

The difference between Singapore and Indonesia’s hotspot figures are more instructive of the two countries’ differing methodology, not of an attempt to overdo or underplay the situation on the ground in Sumatra.

Smoke signals?

Yopita Gustini, a resident of Pekanbaru, Riau, said visibility had worsened to less than 500 meters.

“I had to turn on the car lamps even in the morning when I was driving in,” Yopita told the Jakarta Globe. “I drove really slowly out of fear for my safety.”

Air quality on Tuesday was not as debilitating as Riau residents saw in June, she said.

“It’s not as bad as the last time, but what makes me afraid is that it has not been raining the past few days,” Yopita said. “If the weather and the temperature persist, I’m afraid the fire will be just as big as the last time.”

The 30-year-old added that she had begun wearing a face mask three days ago because she had started to experience a degree of respiratory difficulty.

Yopita called on the government to instigate greater weather-modification efforts in the province.

“Don’t wait until weeks later,” she said.

The Indonesian government was criticized during the peak of the haze crisis for the lack of speed with which it took action against hotspots in Sumatra.

As firefighters struggled to stay ahead of the curve in June, the government ordered the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to seed the clouds above Riau province — a method used to create artificial rain — and drop water from agency helicopters’ Bambi buckets.

BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed that the government was acting in Riau.

“Today there was water-bombing in Pelalawan with one Boco and one Sikorsky helicopter,” he said. “They can carry 4,500 liters per flight.”

Thick smoke over Pekanbaru disrupted flights at the Riau capital’s international airport — only one flight was able to land yesterday at Sultan Syarif Kasim airport. Planes were instead diverted to nearby airports in Medan and Batam.

Under fire

The Indonesian government confirmed that the Sumatra hotspots were once again caused by slash-and-burn clearance of land — the easiest way to make way for, primarily, palm oil plantations.

“99 percent of the hotspots were caused by individuals or groups,” Sutopo said.

Despite international outcry over the extent of slash-and-burn only weeks ago, Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry said the practice continued to thrive.

“More places are burning because of a rise in temperature and the lack of rain over the past few weeks,” Sumarto said. “Some underground fires that were already burning flared up again, and local people are also burning forest to clear land.”

Sumarto called the hotspots a disaster, and asked that the government be given more time by the people of Sumatra and Singapore to address the intractability of the problem.

“It’s difficult to prevent people from using traditional methods of land clearing,” he said. “It takes a long time for them stop.”

At least one Riau resident believes this a tradition that needs to be nixed.

“What’s even more important is the law enforcement,” Yopita said. “I hope the government will take serious action against those who started the fire, because spending money on artificial rain will not do anything as long as these people keep burning the forest.”

Three flights diverted due to haze in Pekanbaru
The Jakarta Post 27 Aug 13;

Poor visibility, caused by thick haze, at Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport in Pekanbaru, Riau, forced the rerouting of three flights.

A Garuda Indonesia aircraft that was scheduled to land at Sultan Syarif Kasim II on Tuesday morning was diverted to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra.

Meanwhile, a Lion Air plane from Jakarta, which was scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m., was rerouted to Batam, Riau Islands, as visibility dropped to less than 500 meters due to the haze.

The airport’s duty manager Baiquni said the Garuda plane departed from Jakarta at around 4:30 a.m. and should have arrived in Pekanbaru, this morning.

“But due to the low visibility the pilot diverted the aircraft and landed in Kualanamu, Medan,” he said in Pekanbaru on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Meanwhile, an Air Asia plane from Kualanamu Airport, Deli Serdang, was forced to return after it received information about the thick haze that was blanketing Pekanbaru Airport.

“Almost all flights were delayed,” Baiquni said.

Despite the haze at Sultan Syarif Kasim II, several pilots were determined to land there and an Air Asia plane, flying from Bandung, West Java, arrived at 7:30 a.m.

“We, as the airport operator, are only required to inform of the conditions. We leave take off and landing decisions to the pilot and airline company,” said Baiquni.

He said that the haze, from the ongoing forest and peatland fires in Riau, was the worst it had been over the last few months. (hrl/ebf)

Ash rain in Pekanbaru after forest fires
Antara 28 Aug 13;

Pekanbaru, Riau Province (ANTARA News) - Several areas in Pekanbaru have been hit by ash rain, following forest fires for the past two days, said an official.

"There is rainfall in the form of ash particles. We believe this phenomenon occurs when there are forest fires," said Chief of Environmental Health Affairs from the province`s Health Office Dewani on Wednesday.

Earlier, spokesperson for the Riau Administration Office announced that the air quality in the area has deteriorated and is unsuitable for locals. The announcement was made when the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) in Pekanbaru reached 300 (normal pollution index in an area is around 0-50).

Dewani said ash rain causes respiratory disorders and irritation in eyes and skin. Therefore, she urged locals to avoid outdoor activities.

(Reported by FB Anggoro/translated and edited by Amie Fenia Arimbi/KR-BSR/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Around 200 hotspots detected in C. Kalimantan
Antara 28 Aug 13;

Sampit, Central Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Around 200 hotspots have been detected in Central Kalimantan, according to Andreas Dodi, a researcher at the Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA).

"The province is on high alert of possible forest fires, following the presence of hotspots," he said, adding that the high temperature in the province increases the possibility of forest fires.

Based on the information provided by the province`s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the rainy season in Central Kalimantan has just begun. However, people are being warned about the possibility of forest fires. They have been told not to burn large areas of land to create plantations.

"As of now, air quality in the province is at a normal level," he added.

(Reported by Unting Setiawan/translated and edited by Amie Fenia Arimbi/KR-BSR/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH