Haze at a dangerous level: Sujudi
Haze at a dangerous level: Sujudi
JAKARTA (JP): The air quality in Indonesia's haze-stricken
areas has worsened and become a health hazard, Minister of Health
Sujudi said yesterday.
"I think the haze has now reached a dangerous level... in
terms of breathing difficulty. This situation is endangering
people's health," he told reporters after meeting with President
Soeharto. He did not refer to any specific affected areas.
Many towns and hinterland villages in Sumatra and Kalimantan,
where fires have ravaged some 300,000 hectares of land and
forest, have been affected by the haze over the past three
months.
The government announced recently that more than 32,000 people
had been suffering from severe respiratory problems due to the
haze.
Sujudi said air in affected areas was contaminated with a
dangerous amount of particles, sometimes reaching 1,000 particles
per cubic meter, on a scale where 260 was considered tolerable.
"In some areas it has even reached 2,000," he said.
Sujudi said the government had already distributed 400,000
protective masks to affected areas and was suggesting the use of
air purifiers in homes, especially for children.
The choking haze in Sumatra and Kalimantan has also caused
problems in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. It has disrupted
flights, shipping and land transportation because of the
resulting poor visibility.
President Soeharto had apologized to neighboring countries
affected by the haze, which the government had declared a
national disaster. A number of countries, including Malaysia,
Thailand, the U.S., Japan and Australia, have either offered or
extended assistance to fight the forest fires that caused the
haze.
Effective
Separately, State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja declared yesterday that the government's concerted
effort to combat forest fires had been greatly effective and
integrated.
"(Personnel) at all levels of the administration, the Armed
Forces along with community members, have all joined forces to
fight this national disaster," he said at his office.
Accompanying Sarwono were deputy to operations assistant to
the Armed Forces chief of general affairs Rear Admiral Frits A.C.
Mantiri, deputy secretary of National Disaster Management
Coordinating Board Hernowo Wiyonggo, and other government
officials.
"There have been good signs, (signs) of improvement in the
weather," Sarwono said.
He quoted National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency data
which said that trade winds above Indonesia had changed from a
northerly to a westerly direction in the last two days.
The head of the agency, Sri Diharto, said yesterday that the
change in the wind direction would hopefully blow away the thick
haze covering most parts of Kalimantan, while the haze clouding
Sumatra would be blown over the Indian Ocean.
However, the wind direction change could already be visible in
Jakarta's sky, which in the last few days looked gray, Diharto
said.
"It's the smoke caused by forest fires in the eastern part of
Java," he said.
Meanwhile, the Indonesia Forum for Environment (Walhi) said in
a statement yesterday that as many as 1,800 villagers of Beginci
Darat and Beginci Laut in West Kalimantan's Ketapang regency were
currently under the threat of famine.
"They have been eating cassava in the past week," the
statement said.
Recent reports about drought-related deaths, and difficulties
in relief operations due to the haze, have come from some
regencies in Irian Jaya. About 295 villagers in the province's
hinterland have reportedly died of various illnesses.
Antara reported yesterday that the reports had prompted a
greater effort to send relief to the stricken areas. Government
agencies and non-governmental organizations have sent food and
medicine supplies to areas in Jayawijaya and Wamena regencies,
for instance.
The relief included instant noodles, mineral water, powdered
milk, biscuits and clothing. (aan/prb)