Antara 13 Feb 14;
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Riau Police have charged five people as suspects in the land and forest fires cases after cross examinations and inquiries with several witnesses.
"Out of the five, three are from the Bengkalis Regency and one each from Pekanbaru and Indragiri Hilir Regency," stated the Riau Police Chief Inspector General Condro Kirono in Pekanbaru on Thursday.
Condro pointed out that the case is currently being handled by the local police officers. As for the case in the Bengkalis Regency, all three suspects are involved in the same crime.
He noted that the forest area which was burnt down in each region will soon be marked by the police line, so that the citizens become aware that the case is being handled by police officers.
"The suspects were charged under Law No. 18 of 2004 on plantation with the punishment of maximum 10 years imprisonment with the highest fine of Rp10 billion. They are also charged under Law No. 26 of 2007 on Spatial Planning," he explained.
Condro pointed out that the implementation of the quilted article will be a deterrent effect. He added that in 2013, the Riau Police had held as many as 33 suspects in burning of forests.
Director General of Plantation of Agricultural Ministry, Gamal Nasir, pointed out that Singapores protest against the smokes from land and forest fires in Riau should be taken seriously with the mitigation and prevention efforts act.
"We have to pay attention to the land and plantation fires. Singapores protests have been strong," stated Gamal Nasir in Pekanbaru, Riau on Thursday.
Gamal noted that in future, it should be ensured that there are no protests from other countries regarding the fires and smokes and in this regard, it should be addressed properly.
(Reporting by Adityawarman/D018/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Dumai to declare forest fire alert to highest level
Antara 13 Feb 14;
Dumai, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Dumai city administration is soon set to declare the highest level of alert status after haze originating from the forest and plantation fires lately blanketed the city.
The alert status will be applicable as the haze condition has worsened and the citys air quality has degraded, Deputy Mayor of Dumai Agus Widayat noted here on Thursday.
The air quality of Dumai has reached a precarious level that can pose a threat to the residents health, he stated during a meeting to coordinate efforts to tackle the haze problem.
The latest Pollutant Standard Index reading in the coastal city of Dumai hit 200 PSI, which is categorized as unhealthy.
Hotspots have been detected in 11 locations across Dumai and the visibility has dropped to less than 100 meters.
The meeting concluded that all the stakeholders must assist in tackling the forest fires and the health service office must monitor the health condition of the local residents.
"We urge the people to stay indoors and use face masks if they have to venture outdoors to prevent them from developing any respiratory problems," he advised.
The number of patients suffering from respiratory and mouth problems has reached 510 in the Dumai City, Riau Province, over the past six weeks.
However, there was no significant increase in the number of patients, even though the city has been hit by haze arising from the forest and plantation fires, Marjoko Santoso, the head of the Dumai health service, remarked here on Thursday.
The data was collected from patients visiting hospitals and community health centers in Dumai, since early January 2014.
He urged the local residents to use face masks to prevent developing any respiratory problems due to the haze lately enveloping the city.
The local health service office has distributed tens of thousands of face masks to the pedestrians.
Meanwhile, visibility in Dumai, Riau Province, dropped drastically to only five meters, on Tuesday (Feb. 11) at 7 a.m. local time, due to a thick haze produced by forest and plantation fires.
(Uu.INE/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
S’pore haze fears mount as Riau fires rage on
Nurfika Osman and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 13 Feb 14;
Hazy day: Thick fog blankets Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday. Heavier smog from forest fires has reportedly reached neighboring Singapore, igniting worries over flight safety and possible respiratory illnesses. (Antara/FB Anggoro)
Fears that haze triggered by forest fires in Riau, Indonesia, will reach Singapore are mounting, as the number of hot spots across Sumatra increases.
Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on his Facebook account on Tuesday night that 458 hot spots were visible and haze might worsen when winds weakened next week.
“We will try to encourage them to take action, but we all know the welfare of close neighbors is not their priority. [These are the] hard truths of regional politics,” Balakrishnan said.
As of Wednesday, Antara news agency reported 243 hot spots in Riau, 74 in North Sumatra, 40 in West Sumatra and 75 in Aceh.
Earlier, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite reported hot spots in Riau had increased sharply from 30 in early January to 248 in early February.
The government is aware that an early start to the dry season may result in prolonged periods of haze in the archipelago, and is thus strengthening cooperation with localities to help tackle fires.
Forestry Ministry secretary-general Hadi Daryanto said the ministry had urged local leaders to closely monitor the number of hot spots on a daily basis and douse fires immediately.
“We have also deployed Manggala Agni firefighting teams to fire-prone areas to handle forest fires. They have been working with communities as well so we are quite well prepared [to face fires],” Hadi told The Jakarta Post.
The ministry has allocated Rp 1.5 trillion (US$124.5 million) to forest-fire management this year and has called on other departments and companies to follow.
Hadi, however, could not guarantee that the haze would not reach Singapore given that an incoming tropical cyclone could blow the haze toward the city state.
National Disaster Management Board (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the BNPB was collaborating with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, Manggala Agni, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and local disaster mitigation agencies (BPBDs) to handle forest fires.
Sutopo also said the board planned to conduct water bombing if fires reached a dangerous level.
The plan is to charter an amphibious BE-200 and a Kamov helicopter from Russia for the water bombing.
Worsening air quality in a number of regions in Riau has seen thousands suffer from acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs).
In Dumai, Riau, air pollution has reached an alarming level, with the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring program showing the level of pollution to have reached 449 on the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).
“Particles including fine dust carried by wind and haze are very hazardous to human health and people are extremely susceptible to ARTIs,” said Dumai health office head Marjoko Santoso.
Ever since haze from forest and peatland fires appeared, 670 people have been recorded as suffering from ARTIs in Dumai.
The number of patients is predicted to rise further as the haze has not shown signs of receding.
“Dumai health office has distributed 40,000 masks through puskesmas [community health centers] in every district to motorcyclists and pedestrians,” said Marjoko.
He also advised members of the public to minimize outdoor activities. But for those who had to work outdoors, he suggested always wearing masks and drinking plenty of water to minimize the direct affects of the hot weather and haze, such as dehydration.
“Those with a history of lung infections, heart problems, as well as the elderly and toddlers, should remain indoors and tightly shut doors and windows to minimize air pollution,” he said.
