JAKARTA: Indonesia’s western region is now on high alert, as fires continue to rip through forest and peatlands in Sumatra island.
“The hot and dry weather conditions have increased the risk, especially as rainfall has significantly declined across much of Sumatra,” Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), told the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua on Tuesday (July 22).
The number of hot spots – places with intense heat suggesting forest fires – in Sumatra has soared from 94 to over 1,000 in 10 days in July, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
More than 140 forest and peatlands fires were reported in Riau province in central Sumatra over the weekend.
Rokan Hilir and Rokan Hulu were the two districts worst hit by fires, which burned about 46ha there, resulting in heavy haze pollution across the area that reduced visibility to as low as a kilometre.
A number of areas in the province were still covered by thick haze on July 22, although choking smoke had not been registered in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru, said Riau deputy police chief Adrianto Jossy Kusumo.
The BNPB warned that there could be more hot spots if the dry conditions persist.
Disaster management officials have been trying to contain the forest fires by, among other measures, seeding clouds to endure rainfall.
On July 19, the authorities reported that the number of hot spots had fallen to 294 as they managed to extinguish fires in several places.
Forest fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strains relations with neighbouring countries.
In recent years, smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand.
Four places in Malaysia recorded unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings early on July 22.
The affected areas are Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, with an API of 155; Nilai, 154; Johan Setia in Selangor, 151; and Balok Baru in Kuantan, Pahang, 140.
API levels of between 101 and 200 are considered unhealthy, especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly, children and individuals with respiratory illnesses. - The Straits Times/ANN
