Haze from Indonesia forest's fires reaches alarming levels

Haze from Indonesia forest's fires reaches alarming levels

By M. Jegathesan

SINGAPORE (AFP): Severe air pollution from forest fires raging in Indonesia has reached alarming levels in neighboring countries, posing health and safety hazards to millions of people across the region.

Known as "the haze," the phenomenon makes skies turn gray at noon, cutting air and marine visibility and prompting authorities to warn people with respiratory problems to stay indoors whenever the air turns bad.

The haze reached unhealthy levels in Singapore over the weekend, passing the warning level of 100 on the Pollutant Standards Index. Doctors said respiratory problems were on the rise in the normally clean and green island republic of three million people.

The problem is much worse in Malaysia, which has declared the haze a national disaster. Last week, Malaysian Airlines was forced to cancel some flights due to poor visibility.

"The haze is making me dizzy whenever I go out. I have to be extra cautious where I drive as visibility is becoming poor on the roads here," said Suraiya Abdullah, a financial consultant in Singapore.

The haze, which started appearing in early June, is caused by smoke from large-scale forest fires in Indonesia in the dry season. The fires are still raging in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with no immediate end in sight.

Indonesian Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja estimated that more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres) of forests have been destroyed this year. Large logging and plantation companies as well as small slash-and-burn farmers have been blamed for the fires.

In an interview with the Singapore Sunday Times, the minister said "we know that we are at fault basically and we are trying our best to solve this very serious problem."

He outlined "urgent" measures such as cloud-seeding over "hot spots" in sprawling Indonesia to induce rain, promoting public awareness among Indonesians about the problem, and a crackdown on errant companies.

Albert Magallanes, a manager with a palm oil plantation in Indonesia's Bangka island, located south of Sumatra, told AFP that the forest fires in Indonesia were either the work of man or nature.

"We have big and small land holders who find slashing and burning as the cheapest method to clear the land, and there are some types of tall grasses which in strong winds catch fire," he said by telephone.

"I got a call from a planter friend from Kalimantan, who was near tears because his palm oil plantation which is nearing maturity is on fire due to clearing adjacent to his land," he said.

No rain

Magallanes said there had been no rain for the past three months, adding that rivers and creeks on the island had almost dried up.

"We are fighting the fire with whatever water is left but it is a losing battle," he said.

In a car-choked metropolis like Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, the wind-borne smoke mixes with auto fumes and industrial pollution into a suffocating combination. Desperate officials have tried cloud seeding, with disappointing results so far.

A doctor with the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital said there had been an increase of people infected with respiratory problems.

Hermen Sarpin, a clerk in Singapore, said he had to take his six-year-old son, suffering from obstructive airway disease, to a private clinic for nebuliser treatment Saturday when the haze passed the warning level.

"I pray everyday that this haze goes away soon because my son is coming down with frequent attacks since the problem started," he added.

Malaysia, in its effort the beat the haze has turned for help to France and Canada, known for their expertise in fighting forest fires, in helping devise strategies to combat the haze problem.

Air quality in Malaysia's Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneo island, bordering Indonesia's Kalimantan province, dwindled to "very unhealthy" levels Friday, forcing Malaysian Airlines to cancel more than 10 flights.

The Straits of Malacca, one of the world's busiest waterways, was hit by haze with visibility deteriorating to 500 meters (yards).

Indonesian environment minister Sarwono warned that the prolonged dry season had yet to reach its peak, and winds were growing stronger.

"This makes for a dangerous combination and, coupled with man- made fires, it could worsen the current fires and lead to more smoke and haze," he told the Sunday Times. "We have to be very careful."