Govt to suspend 12 firms for igniting forest fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will suspend the operations of 12
\nplantation firms in North Sumatra and Riau which are alleged to
\nhave started forest fires which have caused smoke to engulf parts
\nof the region, an official at the Ministry of Forestry and
\nPlantations said.<\/p>\n
\"We will order these 12 plantation firms in the provinces of
\nRiau and North Sumatra to suspend their business activities,\" the
\nministry's secretary-general, Soeripto, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Soeripto refused to name the firms, but said most operated oil
\npalm plantations.<\/p>\n
Citing the evidence of satellite photographs, head of Riau
\nbranch of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal)
\nT.M. Alamsyah identified last week several private companies
\nwhich he accused of being involved in such land clearing
\nactivities: PT Inti Prona, PT Esa Indah Timber, PT Shorea Meranti
\nTimber, PT Rokan Permai TBR, PT Mandau Abadi, PT Perkasa Baru, PT
\nTriomas LT Forestry Indonesia, PT Expra Baru, PT Kulim Coy, PT
\nIndowood and PT Dwi Marta.<\/p>\n
Soeripto said on Tuesday his office would take legal action
\nagainst errant companies. If found guilty of causing the fires,
\nthe owners of the firms could receive a maximum of five years in
\nprison and a fine of Rp 5 billion (US$555,555), according to a
\nforestry law enacted last year.<\/p>\n
Soeripto added the government would intensify its air
\nsurveillance over Sumatra and Kalimantan by deploying more
\nhelicopters in the areas and setting up a task force to handle
\nthe problem of forest fires.<\/p>\n
\"We will do everything we can to prevent this issue from
\nbecoming another national disaster,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government has repeatedly blamed the use of fire to clear
\nland by both large companies and individual farmers for the thick
\nhaze which caused health problems in Indonesia and several
\nneighboring countries in 1997 and 1998.<\/p>\n
With the arrival of the dry season, the fires have again
\nreturned over the past several weeks, mostly in Sumatra and parts
\nof Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Recent fires on Sumatra have sent smoke over parts of
\nneighboring Malaysia, Singapore and as far as southern Thailand.<\/p>\n
In Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, the thick haze which
\nenveloped the city for the past several days eased on Tuesday
\nfollowing heavy rain overnight.<\/p>\n
Polonia Airport, where the haze had caused air traffic to be
\nsuspended, resumed operations on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The rain is very helpful in eliminating the haze,\" an
\nofficial at the airport said.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency reported last Friday
\nmorning that visibility had dropped to about 1,000 meters,
\nresulting in the airport's closure.<\/p>\n
\"The children can go out and play now, the people can resume
\nactivities such as going to school or to work without fear of
\nhaving an accident due to a lack of visibility. But we fear that
\nonce the rain ends, thick smoke will gradually cover the sky
\nagain,\" a local reporter said.<\/p>\n
The local administration also warned residents to be on the
\nlookout for new fires, following a recent report the dry season
\nin the province would last until September.<\/p>\n
There may be occasional rain, but it is feared it will not be
\nsufficient to quench the haze, a staff member at the agency said.
\n(dja\/39\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-suspend-12-firms-for-igniting-forest-fire-1447893297",
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