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)