Indonesia haze shuts schools, threatens neighbors

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Indonesia haze shuts schools, threatens neighbors

 

Thursday, February 28, 2002

By Reuters

 

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Thick choking smoke caused by

forest fires closed schools in parts of Sumatra on

Wednesday, and experts say it could threaten

Indonesia's neighbors in the next few days as the wind

is expected to change direction.

 

The head of the Environmental Impact Control office in

Indonesia's Riau province on Sumatra, just across the

Strait of Malacca from Singapore and Malaysia, said

authorities were working to isolate the fires and

prevent more breaking out.

 

" Currently the wind is blowing to Sumatra.... so we

suffer from the haze, (but) according to the weather

analysts, at the end of this month the wind will

change direction and turn to our neighbors, " said

Naili Saidi. " The level of haze is different in every

area. In Bengkalis's capital Duri, the thickness is

considered dangerous and schools have been closed, " he

said, but added that overnight rains had helped clear

the smoke in several areas.

 

Saidi said there were around 100 hot spots identified

in Riau and 10 in Malaysia according to a recent

report.

 

Authorities in Riau said teams were working to put out

the fires but expressed concern about the possible

spread of the haze to Singapore and Malaysia.

 

" We don't want this disaster to get worse, just like

several years ago which affected our neighboring

countries. If that happens, it will ruin economic

activity between Indonesia and its neighbors, " said

Edi Yusti, Riau government office spokesman. " We are

doing our best to handle the fires... besides that we

also continually inform people not to burn trees or

bushes to expand plantation land,'' he added.

 

Haze has been a regional concern since the mid-1990s.

In one of the worst episodes smoke persisted for weeks

in 1997, forcing many offices and schools to close,

sparking warnings for the young and elderly to stay

indoors, and getting the blame for respiratory and

other health problems. Tourism in large parts of

Southeast Asia was also hit.

 

Indonesia has drawn most of the criticism for the

outbreaks of smoke, attributed to causes ranging from

fires started in the process of logging and clearing

of land for plantations to slash-and-burn farming.

Sumatra and Indonesian areas of Borneo have been the

main fire locations.

 

Copyright 2002, Reuters

 

 

 

 

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