Intermittent rain brings relief despite lingering haze
Intermittent rain brings relief despite lingering haze
JAKARTA (JP): Intermittent rain in two southern Sumatran
towns, Jambi and Palembang, in the last three days has brought
sunlight back to the region which has been blanketed by smog for
almost four months.
Visibility at Jambi's Sultan Thaha Airport was reported to be
more than 2,000 meters.
An officer at the airport described the situation as "not bad"
for flights, while in Palembang, South Sumatra, a telephone
operator said the weather yesterday was clear.
"Slight rain fell this morning. The weather at the airport now
is clear enough for flights. A heavy downpour Thursday helped
clear the air," Sanab Suwarno, a senior officer at Sultan Thaha
Airport, told The Jakarta Post.
"There has not yet been any landings (of airplanes) today
(Friday)," he said but added that flights would likely resume
today. Mandala airlines are due to resume flights to Sultan Thaha
today followed by Merpati Monday.
The airport has been closed since Aug. 31.
Airport administrator, Yuli Sudoso, said the airport, which
earns about Rp 37 million (US$10,800) a day, had already suffered
Rp 2.7 billion in losses.
Head of the Sultan Thaha Airport's Meteorology and Geophysics
Agency Aryana Yasin said the rainy season should have started in
Jambi this week. He warned thick haze could return if southern
winds dominate.
"Air pressure in Jambi is low," he explained.
Rain would keep the skies haze-free and also deter the wider
spread of forest fires.
In Palembang, South Sumatra, 200 kilometers south of Jambi, a
heavy downpour fell on the city Thursday.
"It's clear today, although a slight haze is still lingering,"
the resident, a telephone operator in Palembang, told the Post.
An official at the town administration office, Idris Musa,
said rain had also fallen in Kota Lahat and Bayung Lincir, in the
regency of Musi Banyuasin, one of the areas worst hit by forest
fires.
This year's drought is said to be the worst in half a century.
It has been exacerbated by fires that have destroyed 300,000
hectares of the country's forest and land.
The disaster has drawn international attention and an
outpouring of assistance has steadily been coming in.
On Wednesday, the People's Republic of China said it would
donate US$120,000 in the form of fire fighting equipment and
medical relief to Indonesia.
A statement from the Chinese Embassy here said the equipment
would consist of fire extinguishers to fight forest fires in
seven Indonesian provinces.
Yesterday, the Australian government also announced that it
would provide A$280,000 to the Australian Red Cross Society to
assist Indonesia in dealing with the effects of the haze
blanketing the archipelago. (aan)