Thick black haze blankets Jambi<\/p>\n
Jakarta\/Jambi\/Riau<\/p>\n
Thick black haze from hundreds of hectares of peat fires in three
\nregencies in Jambi province has covered Jambi city for four days
\nnow.<\/p>\n
Although current visibility is still considered at a normal
\nrange of more than 100 meters, many drivers were observed with
\ntheir headlights on during the day.<\/p>\n
The haze that has become thicker every day has forced
\nmotorcyclists to cover their faces with handkerchiefs -- no mask
\ntraders were seen in the area, nor were institutions passing out
\nfree masks this year.<\/p>\n
Although many residents have started to complain that the
\nthick haze stings their eyes and is causing them to develop
\nrespiratory problems, the Jambi administration has yet to issue a
\nstatement on the situation.<\/p>\n
The peat fires have also burned down 100 houses at the
\ntransmigration settlement of Sungai Gelam III in Batanghari
\nRegency.<\/p>\n
No fatalities were reported in the fires that started on
\nFriday, but all residents of Sungai Gelam III were evacuated to
\nthe nearby village of Sumber Agung.<\/p>\n
It is feared that the fires could spread to nearby Sungai
\nGelam II transmigration settlement due to strong winds, a large
\nnumber of tree stumps, and houses that were built too close
\ntogether.<\/p>\n
Field reports state that both residents and officials of the
\nmanpower and transmigration office have taken no action to put
\nout the fires.<\/p>\n
In Pekanbaru, Riau, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency
\n(BMG) reported that weather conditions were improving. Rain,
\nwhich fell from midnight on Monday through until Tuesday at 2.15
\na.m., had swept away much of the haze.<\/p>\n
A chicken-noodle-soup trader, Tukino, 55, had gladly welcomed
\nthe rain. \"Thank God, because of the heavy downpour last night
\nour well will be full again,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The Environmental Impact Management Agency in Pekanbaru said
\nthat as of Monday, there were 130 hot spots spread across several
\nregions, including Siak and Rokan Hulu.<\/p>\n
Environmentalist say that the government seems powerless to
\nact against the fires, which have sprung up in both agricultural
\nand forestry areas.<\/p>\n
\"This forest fires are the responsibility of the government.
\nMinistries should not blame each other, because they are supposed
\nto be one team -- the central government,\" said Emil Salim,
\nformer state minister of the environment in a seminar on Forest
\nManagement and Illegal Logging at the Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS) on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Emil said that local administrations through to the central
\ngovernment, law enforcers and local people were responsible for
\nthe fires.<\/p>\n
Head of the Forest Fire Laboratory Division at the Bogor
\nInstitute of Agriculture (IPB) Bambang Hero Saharjo said that the
\nslash-and-burn land clearance method was dangerous.<\/p>\n
He further said that the burning of peat caused the loss of
\nwater reserves and could even cause floods, as rain water would
\nrun to lower ground as the peat had lost its absorption capacity.<\/p>\n
The peat layer contributes greatly to water conservation as it
\nis more porous than other soils. According to research conducted
\nby the forest fire laboratory, a 10 cm reduction in the peat
\nlayer will cause the loss of 650 cubic meters of water reserves
\nper hectare.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thick-black-haze-blankets-jambi-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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