Haze abating in Kalimantan but Sumatra at risk

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The thick haze shrouding most parts of Kalimantan is abating but is threatening Sumatra as forest fires continue to be set.

Scattered rain in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak over the weekend reduced the haze for the first time in two weeks.

Flights at the local airport Supadio returned to normal schedules as planes faced only sporadic showers under an otherwise clear sky, Antara reported on Sunday.

And rain in the Central Kalimantan capital of Palangka Raya helped the Standard Air Pollution Index (ISPU) drop from dangerous to unhealthy.

Flights at the Tjilik Riwut Palangka Raya airport also returned to normal schedules.

East Kalimantan Governor Asmawi Agani said his administration would provide Rp 500 million to help in the fight against the haze.

"The amount is small and help from the central government has not come yet but everything will be done to overcome the haze problem in this region," Asmawi told the local council during a meeting to discuss the region's draft budget on Saturday.

In the capital city of the province of Riau in Sumatra, Pekanbaru, ISPU levels improved to medium risk from unhealthy.

Mangandar, who heads the damage control unit at the local branch of the environmental control agency, said haze stemmed from land clearing activities in and around the city.

Elsewhere, West Sumatra's forestry office warned the haze could spread to the province as they had recorded 17 fire hotspots.

"We must take action now while the condition is not as bad as in other regions," local forestry office spokesman Fauzi said.

South Sumatra had 210 hotspots, Riau had 101 and Bangka Belitung had 78, he said.

Sumatra's Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) head Emrizal said the haze had not affected the region yet.

Forest fires break out in Indonesia during every dry season but have worsened in the past few years and increased the widespread haze problems.

The worst haze occurred in 1997 when the weather anomaly El Nino worsened the drought which created tinder-dry forests that burned uncontrollably and spread choking smoke to neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.

Several weather observers have noted a weaker El Nino returning this year although some have disputed this observation.

Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim has said that efforts to anticipate the forest fires began in January.

He said the government had adopted the wrong strategy of monitoring plantations and timber operations while the fires this year had stemmed mostly from farmers clearing land.