Haze worsens in Sumatra, Kalimantan

Haze worsens in Sumatra, Kalimantan

JAKARTA (JP): The haze in several towns in Sumatra and
Kalimantan worsened yesterday despite the government's intensive
and concerted efforts to deal with the problem that has
threatened the health of over 32,000 Indonesians.

People in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra and in several towns in
Kalimantan have begun to wear protective masks.

Reduced visibility, down to a mere 30 meters in Jambi, has
closed down airports, severely disrupting air traffic in the
lower half of Sumatra and in Kalimantan.

Kindergarten classes in Jambi have temporarily closed, while
other schools have been told to avoid outdoor activities.

In West Kalimantan, schools will remain closed at least until
Sept. 30.

Antara reported yesterday that the air quality in Jambi
dropped to 10 times below the normal safety level with dust
particles measuring 2.68 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

Jambi administration spokesman Fuad M. Yusuf said residents,
particularly children and those with asthma, had been advised to
stay at home.

He said the long-awaited cloud-seeding operation to bring much
needed rain to clear the air has yet to be carried out because of
the unfeasible cloud formation.

"We are waiting for the artificial rain, while praying for the
rain expected to come next month to clear the haze that has
harmed residents' health and economy," Fuad said.

In Medan, North Sumatra, the air quality also declined
yesterday with the thickening haze that began to cloud the city
Tuesday reducing visibility to 100 meters by the afternoon.

In several parts of the city, such as in front of the
governor's office on Jl. Diponegoro, visibility was only five
meters, forcing motorists to turn on their lights way before
evening fell.

However, an official at Polonia Airport said there was no
delay in flights yesterday except those going to the haze-
stricken city of Pekanbaru in Riau.

In Pekanbaru, Antara reported yesterday that the number of
people with respiratory problems caused by the haze had reached
10,000.

It was disclosed Tuesday that the number of people inflicted
with severe respiratory problems nationwide was 32,328.

An estimated 300,000 hectares of land and forest in Kalimantan
and Sumatra have been razed by fires in the last three months,
with the government blaming plantation and forestry companies for
starting most of the them.

This year's drought, the harshest in 50 years, and the El Nio
weather phenomenon, which has disrupted the region's normal
weather pattern, have also been blamed for exacerbating the
problem. (aan/21)