Forest fires declared a national disaster

Forest fires declared a national disaster

JAKARTA (JP): The government declared forest fires in Sumatra
and Kalimantan a national disaster on Wednesday and warned errant
logging and plantation firms they could lose their licenses.

State Minister of Environment Sonny Keraf said Cabinet
ministers discussed the issue having seen satellite images of
between 200 and 300 "hot spots" on the two islands.

"The President asked us to summon the companies. We will take
punitive action against them, revoking their licenses if
necessary, if there is enough evidence," Sonny said after the
Cabinet meeting presided over by President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Sonny said the government would provide state funds to put out
the fires and rehabilitate the areas affected. He added the
government would cooperate with Malaysia and Singapore in dousing
the flames, but had not yet considered foreign loans.

Forest fires in Sumatra's Riau province and in West Kalimantan
are causing fears of a repeat of the 1997 disaster when
neighboring Singapore and parts of Malaysia were engulfed in
thick smoke.

The fires, the most widespread ever, caused Indonesia at least
US$220 million in financial losses.

Secretary general of the forestry ministry Suripto said in
Riau's capital Pekanbaru that the two neighboring countries had
complained about the smog that had reappeared in the oil-rich
province over the past week.

The Riau administration has started distributing masks to
residents to protect them from the smog arising from the fires.

Deputy head of the Environmental Management Agency in charge
of controlling environmental damage, Aca Sugandhi, said at least
515 hot spots had been detected across Riau's regencies of Kampar
and Benegkalis over the past week.

Visibility was estimated at around 500 meters, while the
pollution index was reportedly at the hazardous level of 313. A
normal level is below 50.

"The level of ash particles in the smog has exceed the safe
limit and has caused respiratory problems, but the density of the
haze has not disrupted air transportation there," Aca told The
Jakarta Post.

Aca said his office and local government had put out some
fires in the areas, mostly on palm oil plantations, but said the
efforts were not enough.

"The areas are prone to fire because burning for land clearing
activity goes on. We hope rain will fall to prevent future
fires."

Aca added his office was looking for evidence of the alleged
role of three Malaysian-joint venture companies operating palm
oil plantations in the starting of forest fires.

He said the three firms had been warned against practicing
land clearing. "Because of their ignorance, the companies should
be brought to justice for damaging the environment."

Meanwhile Singapore Environment Minister Lee Yock Suan on
Wednesday expressed concern to his Indonesian counterpart over
smoky haze clouding skies in the city-state from fires raging in
Indonesia.

"The minister sent a letter this morning," said Lee's press
secretary, Khoo Seow Poh, as quoted by AP from Singapore.

Alvin Lim of Singapore's Center for Remote Imaging, Sensing
and Processing, which monitors the fires, said satellite pictures
of the eastern side of Riau province, which lies closest to
Singapore, show that it is very hazy.

By mid afternoon Wednesday, Singapore's Pollutant Standards
Index reading had risen to 65, from 26 in the morning.

A reading of 50 or below is considered "good," while higher
than 50 is "moderate" and higher than 100 "unhealthy."

"The situation is better than yesterday, there is better
visibility," said Singapore Meteorological Service spokesman Wong
Teo Suan. "There was rain in the fire areas, it helped put out
some of the fires."

Neighboring Malaysia had no haze problems, said a spokesperson
at Malaysia's national Meteorological Service, speaking on
customary condition of anonymity.

Checks at more than 30 monitoring stations, including those
along the west coast that are closest to the fires burning in
Sumatra, showed that visibility was "good," or at 10 kilometers
or more, the spokesperson said. (01/prb)