Riau residents told to don masks as haze worsens

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)