Haze worsens in Sumatra, Kalimantan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The haze in several towns in Sumatra and
\nKalimantan worsened yesterday despite the government's intensive
\nand concerted efforts to deal with the problem that has
\nthreatened the health of over 32,000 Indonesians.<\/p>\n
People in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra and in several towns in
\nKalimantan have begun to wear protective masks.<\/p>\n
Reduced visibility, down to a mere 30 meters in Jambi, has
\nclosed down airports, severely disrupting air traffic in the
\nlower half of Sumatra and in Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Kindergarten classes in Jambi have temporarily closed, while
\nother schools have been told to avoid outdoor activities.<\/p>\n
In West Kalimantan, schools will remain closed at least until
\nSept. 30.<\/p>\n
Antara reported yesterday that the air quality in Jambi
\ndropped to 10 times below the normal safety level with dust
\nparticles measuring 2.68 micrograms per cubic meter of air.<\/p>\n
Jambi administration spokesman Fuad M. Yusuf said residents,
\nparticularly children and those with asthma, had been advised to
\nstay at home.<\/p>\n
He said the long-awaited cloud-seeding operation to bring much
\nneeded rain to clear the air has yet to be carried out because of
\nthe unfeasible cloud formation.<\/p>\n
"We are waiting for the artificial rain, while praying for the
\nrain expected to come next month to clear the haze that has
\nharmed residents' health and economy," Fuad said.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, the air quality also declined
\nyesterday with the thickening haze that began to cloud the city
\nTuesday reducing visibility to 100 meters by the afternoon.<\/p>\n
In several parts of the city, such as in front of the
\ngovernor's office on Jl. Diponegoro, visibility was only five
\nmeters, forcing motorists to turn on their lights way before
\nevening fell.<\/p>\n
However, an official at Polonia Airport said there was no
\ndelay in flights yesterday except those going to the haze-
\nstricken city of Pekanbaru in Riau.<\/p>\n
In Pekanbaru, Antara reported yesterday that the number of
\npeople with respiratory problems caused by the haze had reached
\n10,000.<\/p>\n
It was disclosed Tuesday that the number of people inflicted
\nwith severe respiratory problems nationwide was 32,328.<\/p>\n
An estimated 300,000 hectares of land and forest in Kalimantan
\nand Sumatra have been razed by fires in the last three months,
\nwith the government blaming plantation and forestry companies for
\nstarting most of the them.<\/p>\n
This year's drought, the harshest in 50 years, and the El Nio
\nweather phenomenon, which has disrupted the region's normal
\nweather pattern, have also been blamed for exacerbating the
\nproblem. (aan\/21)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/haze-worsens-in-sumatra-kalimantan-1447893297",
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