Haze from forest fires covers skies over Brunei<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Haze from Indonesian and Malaysian forest fires
\nhad wafted across the borders to blanket the skies over Brunei,
\nBrunei's weather service said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The civil aviation department's meteorological service said in
\na statement that haze was reported over the country over the last
\ntwo weeks and would likely continue for an uncertain period.<\/p>\n
\"We are of the view that the prevailing slight haze will
\nlikely remain for the duration of the SEA Games and temporarily
\nlift if there are heavy shower activities,\" the meteorological
\nservice told AFP.<\/p>\n
It said computer-simulated weather projections indicated there
\nwas \"little chance of severe smoke haze affecting the nation for
\nthe remainder of the current haze period\".<\/p>\n
The oil-rich kingdom of Brunei last month threatened to bring
\na suit against Indonesia if prompt action was not taken to stamp
\nout the fires, largely blamed on the practice of clearing land
\nfor agriculture use by burning shrubs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, according to the United States' National Oceanic
\nand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s satellite data, the
\nnumber of hot spots caused by forest and land-clearing fires in
\nIndonesia declined on Saturday, but increased slightly in
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
The satellite data showed that as of Aug. 7, 23 hot spots
\nexisted in Aceh, Bengkulu, Jambi and South Sumatra, and 62 in the
\nMalaysian Peninsula.<\/p>\n
On the same day, 21 hot spots were observed in Kalimantan, and
\nonly four in Malaysia (Sabah). The data also showed that most of
\nthe hot spots in Indonesia were in plantations and farmland.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of the fog, environment ministers of the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have decided to
\nbring forward their annual meeting in Singapore by two months,
\nSingapore's Ministry of Environment spokesman said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Haze (AMMH) will be held
\nsometime at the end of the month,\" a Ministry of Environment
\nspokesman told Reuters, adding that the actual date was being
\ndiscussed.<\/p>\n
Satellite images recently suggested the situation was similar
\nto two years ago when Indonesian fires were not being put out.
\nExperts now expected the problem to remain for two to three
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) touched 100 on
\nJuly 30, a point away from levels considered \"unhealthy\".<\/p>\n
Singapore environment minister Lee Yock Suan has told a local
\nTV station that greater attention by authorities to the problem
\nwould lead to improvements and prevent fires from burning
\nuncontrollably.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian authorities have also given their pledge to
\ndisallow open burning to clear land. Unfortunately, at the ground
\nlevel, the implementation has not been up to expectations,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
AFP also reported that a shipping company and police blamed on
\nTuesday thick haze from forest and shrub fires in Sumatra for a
\ncollision between an oil tanker and barge on Monday which left 12
\ndead.<\/p>\n
\"Because of the smoke from the fires, the Siak river where the
\naccident took place was covered with haze,\" said a staff member
\nof the shipping company PT Surya Dumai.<\/p>\n
The owner of the Stephanie XVIII tanker, which collided on
\nMonday with a barge around Perawang, some 80 km off of Pekanbaru,
\nsaid the poor visibility made the vessel sail too close to the
\nbanks and hit a barge carrying wood, and then a tugboat.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Sutino Wibowo, the spokesman of the Ministry of
\nForestry and Plantations, disclosed the government would charge
\ntwo plantation companies in Riau and was still investigating five
\nothers for alleged illegal land-clearing activities in Jambi.<\/p>\n
He said the government had issued a first-level alert in Riau,
\nJambi and West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"It means all concerned parties are obliged to contain the
\nfires,\" Sutino said on Tuesday. (prb)<\/p>",
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