[Kabar-indonesia] JP & ST: Raging Sumatran Fires Push PSI to Highest Level This Year [+Seeding]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: ST: Raging Sumatran fires push PSI to highest level this year; 
and Sarawak to carry out cloud-seeding to clear haze 

The Jakarta Post
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Thick haze from Indonesia spreads across Malaysia, Singapore 

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Thick haze from land-clearing fires in Indonesia blanketed a large swath of 
the country's west Monday, sending air quality levels plummeting there and in 
neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, officials said. 

The smoke shrouded an estimated 556,000 square kilometers of land on 
Indonesia's islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, forcing many residents to wear 
protective masks, and delaying flights. 

"The haze has persisted for a whole week," said Frans Tandipau, a senior 
official tasked with extinguishing forest fires on Sumatra, as quoted by The 
Associated Press. 

Fires from land-clearing activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and to a 
lesser extent Malaysia, have occurred almost every dry season since the late 1990s. 
They are typically set by people looking for a cheap way to clear brush for 
plantations. 

Indonesia's annual burn-off causes a haze that typically smothers parts of 
Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand as well as Indonesia itself. 

The Indonesian government has outlawed land-clearing by fire, but weak 
enforcement means the ban is largely ignored. 

In Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, many people were wearing face masks, 
residents there said. Flights in and out of airports were delayed early Monday 
when the haze was at its worse. 

Air quality levels had reached "dangerous" levels, from "unhealthy" last 
week, according to a monitoring station in Palangkaraya, state news agency Antara 
reported. 

In West Kalimantan, hundreds of "hot spots", or satellite readings indicating 
possible forest fires, appeared in a number of regencies. 

At least 640 hot spots were detected through the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric satellite Sunday in eight of the 12 regencies in the province. 

Haze has blanketed Palembang, South Sumatra, and its surrounding areas over 
the last few days, especially during the day. 

Local residents hoped the haze would ease so that they could resume their 
daily activities. 

In Singapore, the air quality dropped to "moderate" Monday from "good" Sunday 
due to the fires in Indonesia, the National Environment Agency said. 
Residents complained the air was "hazy." 

"The smoke haze has also obscured the sunlight and lowered the temperature 
and visibility," the agency said as reported by Agence France-Presse. 

"The latest satellite picture showed that there are 97 hot spots and dense 
smoke haze in Sumatra, mainly in Jambi and South Sumatra. The current dry 
weather conditions in southern parts of Sumatra are expected to persist until 
mid-October," the agency reported. 

Haze began to affect Singapore on Sunday afternoon. 

The air quality also deteriorated Sunday along coastal areas of Malaysia's 
side of Borneo island, mainly because of open burning in Indonesia, officials in 
Malaysia said. 

Malaysia's Department of Environment said that seven of its 51 monitoring 
stations nationwide recorded "unhealthy" air quality levels, while 11 were 
"moderate" and the remaining 33 had "good" air quality. 

------------------------------------

The Straits Times (Singapore)
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Raging Sumatran fires push PSI to highest level this year

Chang Ai-Lien & Tania Tan

THE haze brought the Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) to 73 yesterday
- the highest this year and the first time it has edged beyond 70.

The reading put the day's air quality in the 'moderate' range. The
previous high was 66, recorded last Thursday.

A reading of above 100 is considered unhealthy.

The smoky haze has been brought here by winds bearing particles from
forest fires raging in Sumatra.

The smoke has muted the sunlight and reduced visibility to between 3km
and 4.5km, down from the usual 20km.

The wet season, expected to start in the middle of this month, could
bring some relief, said the National Environment Agency (NEA). Between
now and then, the wind direction may change and also bring respite, it
added.

The latest satellite images have uncovered 97 hotspots in Indonesia
that are the source of the ash and dense smoke haze. These are mainly
in Jambi in Central Sumatra and South Sumatra.

Singaporeans, who have enjoyed clear skies and good PSI readings of 50
and below for most of the year, are feeling the effects of the bad
air.

Human resources consultant Desmond Koh was one of several readers who
sent pictures and messages about the haze to The Straits Times'
interactive portal, Stomp.

The 33-year-old, who developed an eye infection last week, said the
hazy conditions had worsened it: 'My conjunctivitis was aggravated
because of the smoke. There has been more discharge and I am tearing a
lot.'

While no lifestyle precautions are necessary at the current PSI
levels, he is among many people here who are curtailing strenuous
outdoor activities because of the smoke 'to play it safe'.

While visibility has suffered, it has not crimped other activities
here, such as flights and shipping.

The authorities are keeping track of the situation, and will issue
health and other advice if needed.

Fires are set by farmers to clear the land during the dry season in
Sumatra and Borneo every year. They have continued the practice
despite Jakarta's threat that it will prosecute landowners caught in
the act.

More than 240 people and two companies are now awaiting criminal
charges for the offence.

The acrid shroud has blanketed many areas in the region: Most areas in
Sarawak in East Malaysia recorded unhealthy levels of pollutants
yesterday, with some residents complaining that they could not see
beyond 400m.

Bernama, the Malaysian news agency, reported that cloud seeding would
be carried out in the state to create rain to keep the haze under
control.

Large areas of land in Indonesia are also under seige.

About 10,000 people in Central Sumatra alone sought medical help for
respiratory problems as air quality reached dangerous levels.

The smoke has shrouded an estimated 556,000sqkm of land in Sumatra and
Borneo, forcing many residents to wear protective masks. Flights have
been delayed, officials and media reports said.

The winds have also carried smoke particles across the sea towards the
Riau islands of Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

------------------------------------

Sarawak to carry out cloud-seeding to clear haze 

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Authorities will carry out cloud seeding to trigger rain 
over several towns in Malaysia's Sarawak state on Borneo or Kalimantan island 
enveloped by haze.

The state Meteorological Services Department has been instructed to begin 
operations Wednesday to induce rain to clear the air in state capital Kuching, a 
forecaster told The Associated Press. She declined to be named because she is 
not authorized to speak to the media.

Cloud seeding will also be conducted in other towns which have recorded 
"unhealthy" air quality levels, she said but declined to give details.

According to Malaysia's Department of Environment Web site, seven of 51 
monitoring stations nationwide recorded "unhealthy" air pollutant levels caused by 
fine dust particles on late Monday.

All seven worst-hit areas are in Sarawak in Borneo. The island is made up of 
the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, the Indonesian provinces on 
Kalimantan and the tiny sultanate of Brunei.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister George Chan was quoted by The Star as saying 
that the worsening haze was caused by open burning in Kalimantan.

He expected the situation to deteriorate as the dry spell would last for 
another 10 days.

The state has recorded an increase in the number of people suffering from 
respiratory-related diseases like asthma and has ordered schools to cut down 
outdoor activities, he added. Chan could not be reached for comments.

Sarawak carried out cloud seeding last month in Kuching to clear the air for 
the country's National Day celebrations on Aug. 31.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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