I'nesian haze battle enters 'preventive mode'

This approach is based on an increase in night patrols, keeping water-bombing and cloud-seeding aircraft on standby and distributing pamphlets warning farmers of heavy sanctions for slash-and-burn tactics.

The National Disaster Manage-ment Agency (BNPB) spokesman in Riau, Agus Wibowo, said: “We cannot be reactive and respond only when a fire breaks out. We are anticipating seven other provinces to be hit by fires as the dry season picks up.”

Yesterday, he said planes being deployed for cloud seeding and water bombing in Riau should be able to fly out at short notice to Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung in Sumatra, and four provinces in Kalimantan.

Indeed, as most Riau residents are breathing easier after the BNPB declared its 10-day operation to counter the fires and haze a success, attention is now shifting to fire-prone provinces elsewhere. The number of hot spots in Riau was drastically reduced from 262 last Monday to four yesterday, but three planes had to be diverted from landing in Dumai airport in northern Riau, indicating that the battle against large-scale fires is far from over.

Dumai was one of the worst-affected regencies in Riau, hitting a record 900 on the Pollutant Standards Index last Monday, with visibility at less than 500m. Some 1,554 residents complained of respiratory problems last month. Weather forecasters say winds are helping to blow the thinning haze away from Singapore and Malaysia, but the reprieve from the haze could be temporary as the dry season will peak next month and last as long as October.

Said Agus: “We are hoping that within these few days, the hot spots will be gone in Riau.”

Brig-General Tatang Sulaiman said: “Water bombing has helped but can put out fires only if they are on the surface. Now, our soldiers are trying to put out peat fires below the ground.”