Haze Returns to West Kalimantan, IndonesiaChoking haze from forest fires has returned to West Kalimantan after 10 days without any rain, the Jakarta Post reported Sunday.The smog reappeared after people had enjoyed clean air for almost three weeks. Haze blanketed the provincial capital of Pontianak for all of July, disrupting flights in and out of the airport. Officials at Supadio Airport in Pontianak Saturday said that all flight arrivals and departures were between 60 and 90 minutes behind schedule since Wednesday. The head of the provincial transportation office Salam Susanto called on airlines not to let pilots fly in poor weather conditions. Pontianak residents have complained about respiratory problems, influenza, colds and sore eyes. It was reported that most of the haze engulfing the city had come from several districts in West Kalimantan as some farmers in outlying areas were burning nonirrigated rice fields. Another source of the haze was the burning of peat land around the city. As soon as the dry season arrives, local residents burn garbage in agricultural and land estates or in housing complexes. A staff member of the Pontianak regional agency for control over the environment Rukasi said that air quality readings showed the haze was at a level harmful to human health and that the sun's rays were prevented from reaching the earth's surface. In Central Kalimantan, at least 42 hot spots have been detected in the forests in the past few days. The smog which has enveloped the provincial capital of Palangka Raya for the past few days, has become thicker, especially during mornings, a local official was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying. In 1997, thick haze covered West Kalimantan bringing ground, air and sea communications to a halt for about one week. The haze, mostly caused by forest fires, usually appears in the dry season, with the public's hardships being compounded by a lack of water. |
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