Haze declared natural disaster<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government acknowledged yesterday that the
\nsmoldering forest fires and haze in Sumatra and Kalimantan were
\nnatural disasters of national proportions but it fell short of
\ndeclaring a state of emergency.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas reported
\nto President Soeharto yesterday, the third time this week, to
\nbrief him on the fires and haze, and the measures being taken to
\ndeal with the problems.<\/p>\n
When asked about the exact presidential instruction, Azwar
\nsaid: \"This is a national, natural disaster, but it is not a
\nstate of emergency. There is no need for that.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, Soeharto called for concerted efforts by the
\ngovernment and the people to overcome the disaster.<\/p>\n
\"The President has given the necessary instruction to all
\nofficials in central and regional administrations and is
\nappealing to all people to mobilize themselves to overcome the
\nproblem,\" Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
Azwar, who chairs the National Coordinating Board for Disaster
\nPrevention, said there was no immediate plan to evacuate people.<\/p>\n
\"We are dealing with haze. Where would we evacuate them to?\"
\nhe asked. \"The best thing for them to do is to stay indoors,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, efforts focused on putting out the forest fires,
\nwith Malaysian firefighters joining in the endeavor.<\/p>\n
Jambi, South Sumatra, Riau, Lampung, West Kalimantan, Central
\nKalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan are worst
\naffected by the fires.<\/p>\n
The smog has crippled some towns in Sumatra and Kalimantan,
\nand also affected neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, where the
\nair quality has reportedly reached dangerous levels.<\/p>\n
International offers of help have also poured in.<\/p>\n
World Bank chief James Wolfensohn, who was in Hong Kong for a
\njoint meeting with the International Monetary Fund, made a broad
\noffer of emergency funding to help contain the problem, Reuters
\nreported.<\/p>\n
\"We are prepared to come in, in any way we can, on an
\nemergency basis if funding is needed,\" Wolfensohn said.<\/p>\n
Azwar listed other offers: 300 portable water cannons worth Rp
\n430 million and protective masks and medicine from Japan, and
\nexpertise from France. He said he was also expecting assistance
\nfrom South Korea and the United States.<\/p>\n
An Indonesian request for Japan to send water bombers was
\nrefused, \"maybe because the cost is too high,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The president of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Syed Babar
\nAli, who was in Jakarta yesterday, described the fires and haze
\nas an international catastrophe.<\/p>\n
Azwar acknowledged that Indonesia had little experience in
\ncombating forest fires.<\/p>\n
He said fire had razed 71,777 hectares of forest land in
\nKalimantan and 11,562 hectares in Sumatra. The total was lower
\nthan in 1994 when 161,000 hectares were blackened, he noted.<\/p>\n
The extent of the fires differed from agency to agency.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja had
\nearlier claimed at least 300,000 hectares of forest, mostly in
\nSumatra and Kalimantan, had been razed by the fires.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health has meanwhile called on governors in
\nprovinces affected by haze to call on people to use protective
\nmasks for health reasons.<\/p>\n
Some provinces like Jambi had already run out of masks, Azwar
\nnoted.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Jakarta
\nsent 8,000 protective masks to Kalimantan yesterday and called on
\nthe public to contribute by sending in money to its office.<\/p>\n
It said that a box containing 50 masks cost Rp 25,000.<\/p>\n
Walhi announced that it had opened a command post in Jakarta,
\nPontianak, Banjarmasin and Samarinda to assist people to overcome
\nthe haze problem.<\/p>\n
East Kalimantan Deputy Governor Suwarna Abdul Fatah, however,
\ntold Antara in Samarinda that the masks had not been effective.<\/p>\n
The number of people suffering from respiratory problems in
\nEast Kalimantan has risen to 25 percent to 10,000 people during
\nthis prolonged dry season.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Central Kalimantan police questioned yesterday the
\nmanagers of 35 companies suspected of slash and burn practices in
\nclearing land for new palm oil plantations. (prb)<\/p>\n
Photos -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Profits -- Page 5<\/p>\n
Warning -- Page 6<\/p>\n
Rubber -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/haze-declared-natural-disaster-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }