Riau haze blamed for respiratory problems

JAKARTA (JP): More than 10,000 Riau residents have suffered respiratory problems due to the thick smoke enveloping the province since August, a health ministry official said yesterday.

Riau's Ministry of Health spokesman Surya Hadi said the number would likely increase if the long dry spell continued and residents did not take preventive measures to protect themselves from the haze.

"The smog has also caused throat infections, the flu, coughs and eye irritations," Surya told Antara in Pekanbaru yesterday.

This is another blow to Riau residents after State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said on Wednesday that 50,000 residents in the small town of Rengat could be evacuated due to worsening conditions.

Governor of Riau Soeripto has said that 27,000 hectares of forest have been burned in land clearing activities mostly for the opening of oil palm plantations by large companies.

Singapore and Malaysia have also seen haze rise to nearly dangerous levels.

But distress for some people can also mean opportunity for others.

As reported by AFP yesterday, Malaysian authorities said illegal immigrants were believed to be taking advantage of the haze to slip into the country as its coastal areas were blanketed by thick fog.

Sales of protective masks sharply increased in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, and prices of the items doubled to Rp 3,000. The masks normally sell for about Rp 1,500 each.

"Please come again in the afternoon, because we're still making new ones," a pharmacy attendant told disappointed buyers.

President Soeharto on Wednesday apologized to fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the choking effects of the haze caused by the burning of 300,000 hectares of forest mostly in Sumatra and Kalimantan. (prb)

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