[Kabar-indonesia] Hotspots drop in Indonesia but some haze lingers

[Joyo at aol.com]

Hotspots drop in Indonesia but some haze lingers

By Diyan Jari

JAKARTA, November 1 (Reuters) - Hotspots in Indonesia,
indicators of the forest and brush fires responsible for a
choking haze across much of the region, have shrunk to less
than half the number two weeks ago, an environment ministry
official said on Wednesday.

Most of the decline came from Sumatra island, where sporadic
but heavy rain has doused fires set by farmers trying to
clear land for agriculture.

Thick haze still blankets areas of the Indonesian part of
Borneo island, however.

The haze has affected much of Southeast Asia for months,
triggering fears of a repeat of the choking situation that
hit the region in 1997-98.

Indonesia's neighbours have grown increasingly frustrated by
the fires, most of which are deliberately lit by farmers or
by timber and palm oil plantation companies -- some owned by
Singaporeans and Malaysians -- to clear land for
cultivation.

But recent rains have helped improve the situation,
especially on Sumatra island where the haze disrupted air
transport in October.

"Hotspots according to our Oct. 31 data are 19 in Sumatra
areas and 77 in Kalimantan. In the third week of October we
had more than 200 hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan,"
Purwasto, head of forest fire control at the environment
ministry, told Reuters

Indonesians call Borneo island Kalimantan and residents
there still have to carry out daily activities amid greyish
smoke.

"There has been no rain at all in Central and South
Kalimantan provinces," said Budiono, an official at
Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

Indonesia's annual six-month rainy season usually starts in
October and reaches its peak in January. Weather forecasts
say many haze-hit areas will only get consistent rains this
month.

Large amphibious planes, leased from Russia and operated by
Russian pilots, have helped Indonesia douse forest fires in
South Sumatra this week.

"We are water bombing areas with the Russian planes and 10
of our helicopters. We still need to do this for several
more days. I hope in three or four days all hotspots (in
southern Sumatra) could be put out," said Dodi Supriadi,
head of South Sumatra province's forestry office.

The arrival of the Russian planes leased by the national
disaster agency may be a bit belated for optimum effect,
given the increasing rain.

However, officials said they did not want to gamble. If the
rain is sporadic rather than sustained, it can actually
cause more smoke on burning land -- particularly peat areas
where fires are hard to douse.

"If we do not it put it out, the smoke could continue to
develop. The weather forecast says rain would only pour in
November. So, this is not too late," Supriadi told Reuters
by phone from the South Sumatra provincial capital of
Palembang, 420 km (260 miles) northwest of Jakarta.

The Russian planes had been leased for 45 days but that did
not have to be covered consecutively, the environment
ministry's Purwasto said, adding they could be used in the
2007 dry season if they were not needed for the full period
this year.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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