Wind, rain help efforts to put out forest fires

Wind, rain help efforts to put out forest fires

JAKARTA (JP): Favorable wind patterns, sporadic rain and
rigorous fire fighting efforts have combined to put out forest
and bush fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and clear the haze,
officials said yesterday.

"Things are improving," State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja announced as he briefed Indonesian and foreign
journalists on what the government has done to deal with the
catastrophe.

The latest satellite images show far fewer "hotspots" --
usually indications of where fires are -- in both Sumatra and
Kalimantan compared to mid-September, Sarwono said.

"There are strong indications that we have been successful in
putting out the fires," he said, adding that this vindicated his
argument that the fires should have been fought from the ground.

Sarwono was one of seven cabinet ministers taking part in the
joint briefing at the Ministry of Information, the first of its
kind since the haze problem started in August.

The other six ministers were R. Hartono (information),
Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo (forestry), Sjarifudin Baharsjah
(agriculture), Siswono Yudohusodo (transmigration), Haryanto
Dhanutirto (transportation) and Radinal Moochtar (public works).

Djamaludin and Sjarifudin confirmed that most fires in forests
and plantations had been brought under control.

The government, while blaming plantation and timber companies
and small farmers for deliberately starting fires to clear land,
said the freak weather that had set in the Pacific, known as El
Nino (Spanish for "The Boy"), had triggered what is now
officially called a national calamity.

The haze has disrupted the lives of millions in Sumatra and
Kalimantan, and in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore these past
few weeks.

Indonesia has been fighting the fires with international help,
including Malaysian firefighters and foreign volunteers, as well
as donations in cash and equipment and technical assistance.

"This is an international effort in which we have a
substantial share," Sarwono said.

"Of course we thank our partners for helping us out."

Sri Diharto, chief of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency,
said that rain was still sporadic and not widespread enough, with
the northern part of Kalimantan and western coast of Sumatra
enjoying the most rain.

"The real rainy season for most areas won't come until
November," Sri Diharto said.

The number of hotspots has fallen substantially.

"Hopefully, they will all be cleared by mid-November," he
said.

The satellite images showed hotspots in Malaysia and Borneo,
and the haze from forest fires there blowing to Indonesia.

Forest fires in Papua New Guinea had also caused haze in Irian
Jaya recently, he said.

Haze from Indonesian fires has been declining in intensity,
and because of the trade wind, most is blown over the Indian
Ocean or Java Sea.

"We're no longer exporting haze to our neighbors. We're
getting our own haze now, and even actually getting some from our
neighbors in Serawak (Malaysia) and Papua New Guinea," he said.

He warned that while most of Indonesia should enjoy plenty of
rain by November, Lampung could be the exception.

"Lampung will remain dry. This is where BPPT should conduct
cloud seeding operations," he said, referring to the Agency for
the Assessment and Application of Technology.

Sarwono called for action to save Lampung.

"Volunteers should go to Lampung. We've already talked to the
local administration."

Sri Diharto said El Nino had wreaked havoc in other parts of
the world, although this had had less publicity than the fires in
Indonesia.

He cited as examples the destruction of coral reefs in the
Pacific caused by the higher sea temperatures, coastal erosion on
the western coast of northern America, disruption to bird and
marine lives, and spread of related diseases in many parts of the
world.

A brief spate of rain in June had deceived farmers in
Indonesia into thinking that the rainy season had come, and many
started clearing land and setting fires as they had done in the
past.

And then the drought reached its peak, he said.

Sarwono said weather forecasts and reports had become
indispensable to people's lives now.

TVRI, the state-run television, now airs its weather report in
the middle of its newscast, instead of the end, he said. (emb)

Late response -- Page 4

Djamaludin -- Page 10

Airlines -- Page 12