E. Kalimantan and Jambi affected by haze

E. Kalimantan and Jambi affected by haze

Jon Afrizal and Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Jambi/Samarinda

The number of hotspots in East Kalimantan and Jambi provinces has
been rising over the past few days, suggesting that the fire
problem in these provinces is worsening, with haze already
apparent in the both regions.

In Jambi province, fire has destroyed thousands of hectares of
forest in six regencies and municipalities over the last couple
of days. The number of hotspots rose to 49 on Tuesday from 33 the
day before.

Based on images from the North Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) satellite, 39 of the 49 hotspots were in
Muarojambi regency, three each in Tanjungjabung Barat and Tebo
regencies, two each in Sarolangun and Tanjungjabung Timur and one
in Batanghari regency.

Joko Fajar, the Forest Fire Management Unit director with the
Jambi provincial administration, said that his agency had
dispatched personnel to help put out the fires.

However, he admitted that his agency was only able to
extinguish the fires in a limited number of locations, as most of
fires were in very remote and inaccessible areas.

Due to the forest fires, the city of Jambi, the capital of
Jambi province, is once again blanketed by haze.

Visibility is only between 200 meters and 300 meters in the
morning, although after 9 a.m, the haze begins to lift.

People were still going about their normal activities as of
Tuesday, although some residents were complaining on breathing
difficulties.

Similarly, the fire crisis was also worsening in East
Kalimantan. The number of hotspots here on Sunday was 54,
according to the NOAA, but by Monday the number had risen to 85,
spread across 13 regencies in the province, including Kutai
Kertanegara, East Kutai, Paser, West Kutai and Nunukan.

East Kalimantan cities have not been affected by haze so far,
but haze was visible in mountainous areas in the province and
could soon spread to urban areas.

Kusnadie Katam, the Forest Fire Management Unit director with
the East Kalimantan provincial administration, blamed slash and
burn agriculture as the main reason for the fires.

"This has been practiced by local people for years, and it has
become a tradition. It is hard to change this," he said.

Herman, 26, from Batuah district, Kutai Kertanegara regency,
said that burning of forest land was the cheapest way of clearing
land for farming.

Kusnadie said that the problems of forest fires and haze would
likely persist until October, when the first rains were expected
to fall in East Kalimantan province.