Indonesia govt sends team to investigate cause of Riau land fires

Antara 3 Mar 14;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Environment Ministry has sent a team of officers to look into the cause of forest and plantation fires, which have blanketed several parts of Sumatra island over the past few weeks.

"We have sent a team there. They are now investigating into the matter," Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya stated here on Monday.

"If the investigating team finds that the land fires involves any company we will deal with it pursuant to Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Impact Analysis and the Environment," he pointed out.

When a company was found guilty of setting fire to woodland in Rawa Tripa area some time ago, it was required to compensate Rp300 billion for the loss caused by the woodland fire, he pointed out.

"All companies are the same, regardless of whether they are foreign or local. If they set fire to woodland, they must compensate for the loss," he explained.

If somebody is found guilty of setting fire to woodland, the Environment Ministry will hand him/her to the Riau provincial police, he added.

"We hope that the investigating team will find the culprits soon," he stated.

The fires have reportedly ravaged about 7 thousand hectares of land and destroyed 90 houses.

The Terra and Aqua satellite has detected 1,046 hotspots from forests, plantations and peatland fires across Sumatra Island, it was reported Saturday morning.

"Of the total number, 963 were found in Riau Province. The number is significantly up from those on the previous day," Sugarin, the head of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics agency, stated here on Saturday.

The NOAA 18 satellite, however, detected only 138 hotspots across Sumatra on Friday, including 70 in Riau province, according to the Riau disaster mitigation office (BPBD).

So far this month, the NOAA 8 satellite revealed 2,208 hotspots on Sumatra Island, including 1,272 in Riau Province.

(Reporting by Indriani/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Satellite detects 337 hotspots in Riau
Antara 3 Mar 14;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Terra and Aqua satellite detected 337 hotspots of forest and plantation fires in Riau Province on Monday morning.

"The largest number is in Bengkalis with 121 hotspots," Sugarin, the head of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics office (BMKG) stated.

Some 80 hotspots were found in the Meranti Island district, 55 in Indragiri Hilir, 46 in Siak, 40 in Rokan Hilir, 29 in Pelalawan, and two in Dumai City.

Around 70 percent of the hotspots or 140 came from plantation fires, with the largest number in Bengkalis (60), Meranti (31), Indragiri Hilir (22), Siak (21), Pelalawan (4), Dumai and Rokan Hilir one hotspot respectively.

The NOAA 18 satellite operated by Singapore, detected 70 hotspots across Sumatra on Sunday (Mar. 2), with the highest number or 54 in Riau Province.

The rests were in Meranti (17), Indragiri Hilir (12), Pelalawan (11), Bengkalis (7), Siak (4), Indragiri Hulu (2) and Dumai City (one).

Chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif stated that some 99 percent of forest and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan were deliberately set.

"There should be sanctions to stop recurrences. Slash-and-burn farming methods exist in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but the most important thing is that they should be controlled," Maarif noted in a statement on Feb. 28.

According to Maarif, the Indonesian police have named 23 suspects in Riau and 16 in Central Kalimantan, who allegedly set the fires.

"There are several factors behind their decision to set fires in plantation and forest areas, such as economic, social and cultural factors," he explained.

On February 28, the Riau provincial police announced that 40 individuals have been named as suspects in forest and plantations fires in several districts and cities.

"All of them have been detained, after being identified as suspects, for allegedly setting fires during the past several weeks," said Senior Commissioner Estuning of the Riau police plantation fire task force.

(F001/INE)

Editor: Ella Syafputri

Govt urged to take firm action against forest-fire starters
The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 14;

The Golkar Party has urged the government to take firm action against anyone involved in reckless land clearing by using slash-and-burn methods in Riau.

Golkar made the announcement as the forest fires, which have been caused by irresponsible people, have caused many problems for surrounding communities, including respiratory illness, poor visibility and disruption to transportation and mobility.

“Forest fires in Riau are a never-ending problem. They are usually set by irresponsible people who want to clear land but with no consideration for the environment. The government is obliged take firm measures agaisnt the perpetrators,” Golkar politician and vice chairman of the House of Representatives Commission IV on agriculture and plantations, Firman Soebagyo, said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Monday.

Firman added that the government had to be firm so as to prevent the fire issue from affecting bilateral relations with neighboring countries, especially Singapore and Malaysia.

“I hope this issue is not going to drag on much longer. It should be noted here, however, that the cause of the problems associated with the fires does not always originate in Indonesia, but we are the ones who should take responbility," he said.

During 2012 and 2013, Indonesia's government handled 41 cases relating to forest fires in Riau. More than 25 people have been arrested and named suspects, some of whom work for Singaporean and Malaysian companies. (meh)