Riau residents told to don masks as haze worsens

JAKARTA (JP): The haze shrouding parts of Riau continued to thicken on Thursday, with authorities urging residents to wear protective masks and limit outdoor activity in order to reduce health risks.

The call came amid growing concern in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore over the health hazard of the haze, which is caused by spreading forest fires. Another concerned party, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), offered assistance on Thursday to help put out fires in the province.

Antara described the haze as no longer looking like smoke but containing white particles, which reduced visibility to less than 200 meters. The news agency said the haze was so thick over the Riau capital of Pekanbaru that residents could not feel the warmth of the sun.

Governor Saleh Djasit told residents in the haze-affected areas of the province to don masks and remain indoors as much as possible.

"I am also calling on residents to prevent children from playing outside," Saleh said.

Saleh said his office had recently formed a small team to conduct field observations and to decide on a course of action to be taken to handle the hazardous haze.

"We will take legal action against any companies found to be burning the land or forest," he said.

Meanwhile, JICA has sent a team, comprising three experts, to Riau to help determine what steps should be.

"The team is currently observing Riau's smog-polluted air," said Darminto Soetono, head of the Riau forestry and plantations office. The observation would help determine the necessary facilities needed and actions to be taken to overcome the fires, he said.

The team will also check air in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park on the Riau-Jambi provincial border, he said. "The satellite images taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed there are hot spots in the national park," Darminto said.

The head of the national park, Waldemar Sinaga, said local people continued to clear land for farming using the slash-and- burn method.

The national park is home to the 345 families of the Talang Mamak, Melayu, and Kubu tribes. During the dry season, the tribes traditionally clear new fields by burning forests, and it is difficult to stop them applying this method, he said. (05)