Haze at a dangerous level: Sujudi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The air quality in Indonesia's haze-stricken
\nareas has worsened and become a health hazard, Minister of Health
\nSujudi said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"I think the haze has now reached a dangerous level... in
\nterms of breathing difficulty. This situation is endangering
\npeople's health,\" he told reporters after meeting with President
\nSoeharto. He did not refer to any specific affected areas.<\/p>\n
Many towns and hinterland villages in Sumatra and Kalimantan,
\nwhere fires have ravaged some 300,000 hectares of land and
\nforest, have been affected by the haze over the past three
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
The government announced recently that more than 32,000 people
\nhad been suffering from severe respiratory problems due to the
\nhaze.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said air in affected areas was contaminated with a
\ndangerous amount of particles, sometimes reaching 1,000 particles
\nper cubic meter, on a scale where 260 was considered tolerable.<\/p>\n
\"In some areas it has even reached 2,000,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said the government had already distributed 400,000
\nprotective masks to affected areas and was suggesting the use of
\nair purifiers in homes, especially for children.<\/p>\n
The choking haze in Sumatra and Kalimantan has also caused
\nproblems in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. It has disrupted
\nflights, shipping and land transportation because of the
\nresulting poor visibility.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto had apologized to neighboring countries
\naffected by the haze, which the government had declared a
\nnational disaster. A number of countries, including Malaysia,
\nThailand, the U.S., Japan and Australia, have either offered or
\nextended assistance to fight the forest fires that caused the
\nhaze.<\/p>\n
Effective<\/p>\n
Separately, State Minister of Environment Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja declared yesterday that the government's concerted
\neffort to combat forest fires had been greatly effective and
\nintegrated.<\/p>\n
\"(Personnel) at all levels of the administration, the Armed
\nForces along with community members, have all joined forces to
\nfight this national disaster,\" he said at his office.<\/p>\n
Accompanying Sarwono were deputy to operations assistant to
\nthe Armed Forces chief of general affairs Rear Admiral Frits A.C.
\nMantiri, deputy secretary of National Disaster Management
\nCoordinating Board Hernowo Wiyonggo, and other government
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\"There have been good signs, (signs) of improvement in the
\nweather,\" Sarwono said.<\/p>\n
He quoted National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency data
\nwhich said that trade winds above Indonesia had changed from a
\nnortherly to a westerly direction in the last two days.<\/p>\n
The head of the agency, Sri Diharto, said yesterday that the
\nchange in the wind direction would hopefully blow away the thick
\nhaze covering most parts of Kalimantan, while the haze clouding
\nSumatra would be blown over the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n
However, the wind direction change could already be visible in
\nJakarta's sky, which in the last few days looked gray, Diharto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"It's the smoke caused by forest fires in the eastern part of
\nJava,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesia Forum for Environment (Walhi) said in
\na statement yesterday that as many as 1,800 villagers of Beginci
\nDarat and Beginci Laut in West Kalimantan's Ketapang regency were
\ncurrently under the threat of famine.<\/p>\n
\"They have been eating cassava in the past week,\" the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
Recent reports about drought-related deaths, and difficulties
\nin relief operations due to the haze, have come from some
\nregencies in Irian Jaya. About 295 villagers in the province's
\nhinterland have reportedly died of various illnesses.<\/p>\n
Antara reported yesterday that the reports had prompted a
\ngreater effort to send relief to the stricken areas. Government
\nagencies and non-governmental organizations have sent food and
\nmedicine supplies to areas in Jayawijaya and Wamena regencies,
\nfor instance.<\/p>\n
The relief included instant noodles, mineral water, powdered
\nmilk, biscuits and clothing. (aan\/prb)<\/p>",
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