Antara 13 Aug 19;
Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA) - Fires raging through land and forest areas in South Sumatra Province during the January-June 2019 period resulted in 274,502 people suffering from acute respiratory tract infection, a health officer stated.
Residents run the risk of suffering from the infection during the dry spell that induces land and forest fires in several parts of the province, Head of the South Sumatra Provincial Health Office Lesty Nuraini stated on Tuesday
"We have called on the local administration to provide health service facilities to residents as a precautionary measure against haze before the peak of the dry season," she revealed.
Nuraini noted that the South Sumatra provincial capital of Palembang is the worst-affected area, with 80,162 residents suffering from the infection over the period of time, followed by Banyuasin District, with 36,871 sufferers; Muara Enim District, with 35,405 patients; Musi Banyuasin District, with 21,871 cases; and Ogan Komering Ilir District, with 13,292 ailing.
Palembang, Ogan Ilir, Ogan Komering Ilir, Banyuasin, Musi Banyuasin, and Lahat are highly prone to haze arising from land and forest fires, she pointed out.
"Palembang is not a source of smoke but is the worst-affected area as was experienced in 2015. The wind blew the smoke in OKI (Ogan Koering Ilir) and Organ Ilir in the direction of Palembang," she stated.
On a monthly basis, the number of acute respiratory tract infection sufferers was recorded at 44,142 in January; 50,837 in February; 54,237 in March; 54,409 in April; 40,459 in May; and 30,418 in June.
Nuraini drew attention to the fact that acute respiratory tract infections were caused not only by haze but also by virus attacking the respiratory system.
The Terra and Aqua satellites detected 192 hotspots indicating land and forest fires across Sumatra Island on Monday morning, a significant spike, from 13 hotspots on Sunday afternoon.
Of the total 192 hotspots, 156 were found in Riau Province, nine in South Sumatra, eight in Jambi, seven in Lampung, four each in North Sumatra and Bangka Belitung, three in Riau Island, and one in West Sumatra, Sanya Gautami, analyst at the Pekanbaru meteorology station, remarked here on Monday. Related news: Smog from forest fires shrouds Riau, West & Central Kalimantan
Reporter: Dolly Rosana, Suharto
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
Pontianak residents exposed to thick smoke from wildfire
Antara 13 Aug 19;
Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Several residents of Pontianak, the capital city of West Kalimantan Province, are left with no choice but to inhale the thick smoke arising from the wildfire on Tuesday morning.
Tomi, a resident of the Parit Mayor neighborhood area, admitted to breathing in the thick haze having a strong smell while heading to a mosque for performing Subuh, or the dawn prayer.
As a result of this condition, several residents expressed concern over the impact of this thick smog on their health and outdoor activities.
The haze, lofting through the areas of Pontianak, had also reduced visibility to some 150 and 200 meters, he stated, adding that he heard of cases of some of his friends suffering from respiratory infections owing to the smog, caused by the burning of forest and peatland areas.
The thick haze has been blanketing the areas of Pontianak and several other parts of West Kalimantan over these past few weeks as a result of wildfires at peatland areas as well as the slash and burn activities.
"I am still traumatized by the thick smoke as the ones that had occurred several years ago. I do not want this to recur," Tomi stated.
The thick haze, with a strong smell, shrouding the areas of Pontianak has forced the authority of the city's education and culture office to terminate school activities on Aug 13-14 to prevent smog exposure among the pupils of kindergartens and primary schools.
Smog arising from forest fires in West Kalimantan has also threatened business activities and prospects in the province, Chairman of the Indonesian Businessmen Association (Apindo) chapter in Pontianak Andreas Acui Simanjaya stated.
"The impact of haze has been huge, both on health and business. This necessitates attention from all parties," he had remarked last weekend.
Smog during every dry season has become a scourge since long, and it had yet to be tackled permanently, he stated.
"We only react when the condition is bad. Such repeated incidents have wasted significant amounts of energy of various parties that have to deal with it," he pointed out.
Simanjaya suggested two solutions to stop forest fires, the first being increasing public awareness to ensure that the practice of setting fires for land clearance is halted.
Second, legal enforcement must be imposed firmly to deter others from burning forest and peatland areas. Related news: BPBD confirms fires engulfed 10 hectares of West Kalimantan's peatland
Reporter: Dedi, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
BPBD confirms fires engulfed 10 hectares of West Kalimantan's peatland
Antara 13 Aug 19;
We also intensify prevention efforts by routinely informing the public of the dangers and impact of land and forest fires, so they will no longer set fire to land or others
Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Fires swept through five to 10 hectares of peatland in West Kalimantan Province during the dry spell this year, the Pontianak City Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) stated.
"The area of each of the burned peatland was so small that the military, police, and BPBD personnel, with assistance from private fighters, could extinguish the blaze quickly," BPBD Head Saptiko stated in Pontianak on Tuesday.
To handle land and forest fires in the province, the BPBD has cooperated with the military and police in conducting joint routine patrols in fire-prone land and forest areas.
"We also intensify prevention efforts by routinely informing the public of the danger and impact of land and forest fires, so they will no longer set fire to land or others," he stated.
The BPBD Office noted that four hotspots indicating land and forest fires were detected in Pontianak comprising one in North Pontianak, two in South Pontianak, and one in Southeast Pontianak.
On Monday, August 12, 2019, the Pontianak city administration sealed four plots of burned land on Sepakat Street 2, Southeast Pontianak Sub-district.
The city government sealed the land by putting up a notice board that read, "This land is under the surveillance of the Pontianak city government. It violates Regional Regulation No. 55/2018 concerning land and forest fires."
The thick smoke arising from land and forest fires has forced the Pontianak city education and culture office to close kindergartens and elementary schools on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, learning activities at junior high schools begin at 9 a.m. local time.
West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji, at a coordination meeting to discuss land and forest fire control, Monday, summoned 94 plantation companies and timber estates believed to have set fire to land in their respective concession areas.
"The 94 companies comprise 56 plantation companies and 38 timber estates. We summoned them, as hotspots were found around their concessions," he stated.
The meeting was held in response to rampant land and forest fires in several districts in the province.
Based on satellite monitoring on Saturday, August 10, 2019, at 7 a.m. local time, 126 hotspots were found in Riau, four in Jambi, 13 each in South Sumatra and South Kalimantan, 533 in West Kalimantan, and 159 in Central Kalimantan.
Reporter: Andilala/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
343 hectares of Mount Ciremai forest area gutted
Antara 13 Aug 19;
Kuningan, West Java (ANTARA) - A fire destroyed 343 hectares of forest area, home to the edelweiss flower, in Mount Ciremai Kuningan District, West Java Province.
"The area gutted is some 343 hectares," Agus Mauludin, acting head of the Kuningan Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), said here on Tuesday.
The area is located at an altitude between 2,600 and 3,078 MDPL.
The fire was spotted for the first time at Gua Walet (Swallow Cave) block on August 7, 2019, at 1 p.m. local time.
On August 13, the fire was completely put out, he added.
The forest fire fighting team carried out mop-up activities from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. every day for several days to make sure there was no more fire or smoke on Mount Ciremai, he noted.
Related news: Wildfires raze part of Mount Ciremai and Mount Slamet forest areas
In addition to Mount Ciremai in West Java, Mount Sumbing in Wonosobo District, Central Java and Mount Arjono in Batu Municipality, and East Java Province were also on fire.
A joint team conducted a thorough search of Mount Sumbing in Wonosobo District, Central Java Province, to ensure that a fire raging in the mountains forest area on Sunday afternoon (August 11) was completely extinguished.
"Some 100 personnel comprising officers of the Wonosobo Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), the North Kedu Forestry Office, Wonosobo police and military officers, as well as volunteers have been combing the area since Monday morning," Agus Wibowo, acting spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated in Jakarta on Monday (August 12).
A wildfire razed a protected forest area in Banyumudal Village, Sapuran Sub-district, in the Mount Sumbing area on Sunday afternoon. The fire was later put out. On Monday morning, however, smoke was spotted again near the area.
Indonesia has been experiencing a severe dry season that has triggered forest fires on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Java.
Last year, the prolonged dry season had triggered wildfires in forest areas located on the slopes of several mountains in the provinces of Central, East, and West Java. Mount Merbabu, Mount Sumbing, Mount Slamet, and Mount Sindoro in Central Java Province; Mount Argopuro and Mount Sadran in East Java Province; Mount Ciremai in West Java Province; and Mount Lawu located on the border of the provinces of Central and East Java.
Reporter: Khaerul Izan, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
