Air Force planes to combat haze<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): A modified Hercules C-130 plane took off from
\nthe Hussein Sastranegara airbase here Saturday for Sumatra in the
\ngovernment's first mission to combat the haze from the air.<\/p>\n
The plane carried five tons of calcium oxide mild solution
\nwhich it would disseminate from the sky over Sumatra to clear the
\nair and enable more sun to penetrate.<\/p>\n
This would evaporate water below and create clouds, explained
\ndeputy chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application
\nof Technology (BPPT), Indro Priyono.<\/p>\n
Cloud seeding has been ruled out at this stage because the
\ncloud is too thin, according to officials.<\/p>\n
The plane's targets in the eight-hour mission Saturday were
\nthe airports in South Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau which have been
\nworse affected by haze in the last three months.<\/p>\n
Airports were given priority because hundreds of flights had
\nbeen canceled due to the haze, causing havoc to the regions'
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
The plane which took off Saturday is one of three C-130 planes
\nmodified by the Air Force for the purpose.<\/p>\n
The three were scheduled to make more sorties to Sumatra and
\nKalimantan Sunday. The operation will continue for the next two
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
When conditions permit, smaller planes will be deployed to
\ncarry out cloud seeding to induce rain in these areas, officials
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"This is what we can do from the air at the moment," Indro
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"Another concerted effort to put out the fires is also being
\ncarried out on the ground."<\/p>\n
The haze has been blamed on the forest fires raging in Sumatra
\nand Kalimantan in the past few weeks. The government has sent
\nthousands of firefighters, including some from Malaysia, to put
\nout the fires.<\/p>\n
The modification of the C-130 planes was jointly carried out
\nby the Air Force's Material Maintenance Command's workshop and
\nthe national aircraft manufacturer PT IPTN.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Navy has provided its Transal planes to water
\nbomb the forest fires, officials said here Saturday.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas, who
\nheads the national board coordinating the haze disaster relief,
\nwitnessed the launching of the mission Saturday. Also present
\nwere Lt. Gen. AM Hendropriyono, the secretary of the development
\noperation and Azwar's deputy on the disaster board.<\/p>\n
They were accompanied by Air Force Chief's Assistant of
\nOperations Rear Marshall Irawan Saleh and Commandant of the Air
\nForce's Material Maintenance Rear Marshall Sjaiful Kartim Munaf.<\/p>\n
Azwar said no one had anticipated the unusual weather pattern,
\nwhich caused Indonesia's prolonged dry season, to come this year.<\/p>\n
El Nino was not expected to hit until next year, Azwar said,
\nreferring to the freak weather phenomena that has wreaked havoc
\nin the South Pacific as well as the Indian subcontinent and
\nAfrica.<\/p>\n
"A haze problem like this has never happened before. Usually
\nthe haze just goes up and disappears," Hendropriyono said.<\/p>\n
The government has also blamed the forest fires on plantation
\nand timber companies for using slash-and-burn methods in clearing
\nland.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono said strong measures must be taken against these
\ncompanies although he said he was reluctant to prosecute them.
\n"Administrative measures would be more effective than prosecuting
\nthem on criminal charges," he said. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/air-force-planes-to-combat-haze-1447893297",
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