Indonesia: Over 25.5 thousand people taken ill by haze in Riau

Antara 14 Sep 15;

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - The Riau health office has recorded that 25,524 people have fallen ill due to the haze as the air quality has reached unhealthy levels in the province.

"Most of them, or 20,901, suffer from respiratory ailments," Head of the Riau health office Andra Sjafril noted here, Monday.

The figure was obtained from the number of people visiting community health centers and hospitals in 12 districts and cities in the province, from June 29 to September 12, 2015.

Some 454 people suffered from pneumonia, 893 ailed from asthma, 1,356 from eye irritation, and 1,920 from skin irritation.

In Pekanbaru, 3,548 people are suffering from respiratory ailments, 2,831 in Kuantan Singingi, 2,576 in Siak, 2,503 in Dumai, 2,227 in Rokan Hulu, and 300 in Meranti Islands.

"I urge the inhabitants who need to venture outdoors to wear face masks of N95 type," he stated.

From September 14 until September 24, four health command posts will remain open respectively at the Sultan Syarif Kasim II airport, the ex-MTQ building complex, the Central Market, and Rumbai in Pekanbaru.

Each post, manned by a doctor and two nurses, will offer first aid to those being affected by the haze.

"Besides this, the command post will also provide face masks and consultations regarding the effects of haze on the health of the residents," he noted.

The authorities have advised the people in Riau to stay indoors, to wear face masks while venturing outdoors, and to stay amply hydrated and eat nutritious food to stay healthy amid the haze problem.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered every stakeholder to help extinguish forest fires and to tackle haze engulfing parts of Indonesia over the past few weeks, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Willem Rampangilei stated.

"The presidents instruction on the ongoing haze disaster is to extinguish the fires and to end the haze problem immediately," Rampangilei remarked while visiting the command post of the forest fire task force at the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base, Pekanbaru, recently.

"Within two weeks, plantation fires must be put out," he quoted Jokowi as saying.
(Uu.F012/INE//KR-BSR/A014)

Haze causes more sickness in Riau
Rizal Harahap, thejakartapost.com 14 Sep 15;

The Riau Health Agency says as many as 25,524 residents from 12 different regencies and municipalities have suffered from illnesses caused by haze from forest fires, which has blanketed the province since the beginning of September.

The agency’s head Andra Sjafril said that 20,901 people had suffered from respiratory illness; 1,920 from skin irritations; 1,356 from eye irritations; 893 from asthma; and 454 from pneumonia.

“All of them are receiving out-patient medical services. Pekanbaru has the largest number of patients, followed by Kuantan Singingi and Siak regencies. Meranti Islands regency has the lowest number of patients,” said Andra.

Riau acting governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman declared an air-pollution emergency for the province on Monday due to the thick haze from land and forest fires that has blanketed the area since the beginning of September.

Commenting on the recently declared air-pollution emergency status for Riau, Andra said that he had prohibited all doctors and paramedics from leaving the province for indefinite period.

“I have also discussed with the Military Region Command (Korem) 031/Wira Bima and the Riau Police the possibility of using their health workers if we face a shortage of medical professionals at our health posts,” he said.

“Every healthcare facility and health post must have a doctor. Treating victims of haze requires medicines and they can only be prescribed by a doctor,” said Andra.

He also said that Riau was facing a shortage of face masks. It was proving difficult for the province to source masks because five other provinces are facing similar smoke problems.

“We still have around 40,000 masks. We have asked for more supplies from the government but they have not yet come through,” said Andra. (ebf)

Walhi to assist haze victims in taking legal action
Antara 14 Sep 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) has opened command posts for suing plantation companies responsible for forest fires that have caused widespread haze in a number of provinces.

In a press statement on Monday, the NGO urged the public to actively fight for their rights for a good and healthy environment, which is free from haze, and their rights for living healthily, as well as the rights of the future generations.

Walhi also called on people living in haze-free regions to show their solidarity to those impacted by the haze, and support the move to sue the authorities.

Most of the hotspots are located inside plantation areas; both oil palm and industrial forestry areas (HTI), as well as mining companies. Walhi pointed out.

Companies must be held accountable for their bad practices, the NGO said.

It also criticized the government for its reactionary response to tackling forest fires and for not addressing the root of the problems that are causing the haze.

The government should review or even revoke the business licenses of companies operating in places where hotspots are found frequently, whether it is their plantation or mining areas, it noted.

The governments negligence and the companies corporate crimes have claimed many victims, particularly children, who have fallen ill due to the haze. Their future is being threatened because they are exposed to the haze, the NGO added.

Walhi said it will provide assistance to individuals wanting to file law suits because the countrys Constitution has clearly stated the right of every citizen to live in a healthy and clean environment.

The command posts will also entertain complaints made by victims of forest fires.

The NGO has set up the posts in haze-prone provinces, such as Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Riau and Jambi.
(T.M040/Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Forest fires - President instructs thousand military personnel to Riau
Antara 15 Sep 15;

Doha (ANTARA News) - President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo has instructed (concerned parties) to send 1,000 military personnel to Riau Province in order to help extinguish forest fires in the region.

"Although I am on a visit to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar I continue to monitor the development relating to the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan," the president told journalists in Doha on Monday.

The head of state said "I have just ordered the dispatch of 1,000 soldiers to Riau immediately to overcome the thick smog".

Last week, a total of 1,000 soldiers were sent to help put out the forest fires in South Sumatra.

"Previously, 1,000 soldiers had been sent to Ogan Ilir, Musi Banyuasin, Banyu Asin because concentration of the forest fires were in the tree districts. Now we add 1,000 military personnel to Riau," Jokowi stated.

In addition, the president has also received information about rainfall in Riau.

Although it rained and extinguishing efforts continue to be made but the president insisted that law enforcement efforts should be conducted so that forest fires will not recur every year.

"I have asked chief of the National Police to uphold the law enforcement, so it (forest fires) will not occur every year. I also ask the local government and citizens to jointly extinguish the fores, he explained.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had ordered every stakeholder to help extinguish forest fires and to tackle haze engulfing parts of Indonesia over the past few weeks, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Willem Rampangilei stated.

"The presidents instruction on the ongoing haze disaster is to extinguish the fires and to end the haze problem immediately," Rampangilei remarked while visiting the command post of the forest fire task force at the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base, Pekanbaru, recently.

"Within two weeks, plantation fires must be put out," Rampangilei quoted Jokowi as saying.(*)

Indonesia president mobilises more personnel to fight forest fires
President Joko Widodo says he wants all related agencies to mobilise available resources to the fullest in tackling the raging forest fires causing transboundary haze.
Sujadi Siswo, Channel NewsAsia 15 Sep 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesia's president on Monday (Sep 14) instructed the police and military to send more personnel to douse the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Riau province in Sumatra has declared a state of emergency and nearly 1,000 hotspots were detected in Sumatra on Monday.

In a statement released from Qatar where he is on an official visit to the Middle East, President Joko Widodo said he wanted to see a speedier and more coordinated efforts from various agencies.

President Widodo said he is following closely developments at home and wanted all related agencies to mobilise available resources to the fullest. Indonesia has already deployed 1,050 soldiers to south Sumatra to tackle the forest fires.

The Indonesian leader also urged law enforcement agencies to take very stern action against the perpetrators, including revoking the license of plantation companies.

The fires have caused haze to drift over to the country's neighbours Malaysia and Singapore. Close to midnight, haze readings in Banting, Malaysia were in the "Very Unhealthy" levels. Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur were not far behind. In Singapore, the 3-hour Pollutants Standard Index reading hit a high for this year of 249 at 9pm.

- CNA/ec

Thousands flee Pekanbaru as haze hits record high
The Star 15 Sep 15;

MEDAN: Thousands are fleeing Pekanbaru as the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the Riau province capital, which is about 280km away from Singapore, surged to a record 984 yesterday.

Many have taken to the roads, trying to find their way north to neighbouring Medan, or west to Padang, to escape the thick haze that has rendered their hometown unliveable.

The exodus via land includes people who had initially planned to fly out of the city, after their flights were grounded owing to the poor visibility caused by the haze from forest fires in the provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra.

Pekanbaru resident Benny Sukma Negara said he hightailed for West Sumatra by car yesterday after the haze hit hazardous levels.

This despite efforts by the Indonesian emergency services to douse the blaze by air, after ground operations had failed to keep the fire from raging over the weekend.

"The haze has permeated into our house over the last three days and it's getting worse," said Mr Benny, a university lecturer. "We wore a mask even inside our home."

According to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), there were 1,143 hot spots in Sumatra as of 5am yesterday. These comprise 724 in South Sumatra, 234 in Jambi, 78 in Riau, 69 in Lampung, 25 in West Sumatra, and 13 in Bengkulu.

In Kalimantan, there were 266 hot spots.

BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the large number of hot spots is proof that the illegal burning of peatland has continued despite stepped-up enforcement.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar yesterday declared a haze emergency in Riau province. She said Riau Acting Governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman had also set up aid stations at several locations.

The minister's move, however, came too late for Wahyuni, a student from Jambi. The 15-year-old died last Friday after coughing for three days prior to her death. She was said to have had difficulty breathing because of the haze.

"We knew Wahyuni had a pre-existing heart condition," said her mother, Ms Nuraini. "Her heart was weak but she never had breathing difficulty like this before."

Mr Roni Amriel, an MP in Pekanbaru, said the city is no longer liveable because of the haze, and asked the municipal government to start evacuating residents.

"Action must be taken, including evacuation," said Mr Roni, adding that the ideal destination for evacuees is West Sumatra, which shares its borders with Riau. He also said Pekanbaru city, the province of Riau, or the central government could foot the bill for the evacuation.

Visibility in Pekanbaru was reduced to between 100m and 200m yesterday afternoon, while Dumai and Pelalawan - which are also in Riau - had a visibility level of 50m.

Businessman Agus Suharsono and his family, who were planning to fly from Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru to Jakarta, were huddled at the air terminal yesterday after their flight was delayed because of the haze.

"We hope we can get a later flight," said the 59-year-old. "Two of my four children are already developing (upper respiratory tract infection)."

Dr Slamet Budiarto, who heads the Jakarta Chapter of the Indonesian Doctors' Association, said the PSI reading of 984 should "trigger an evacuation". He added that at that level, the haze could cause nausea and physical weakness and, in the long term, may lead to cancer. The Straits Time/Asia News Network