Artificially Made Rain To Cope With Forest Fires In Riau

Pekanbaru, Riau, Sept 10 (ANTARA) - The Regional Disaster Control Agency (BPBD) of Riau said it is seeking to put out forest fires with artificially made rain in the province. "Not only in Riau but also on the border areas with North Sumatra in the north and Jambi in the south," Riau BPBD chief Syamsurizal said here on Monday. The agency will use two helicopters and a fixed wing plane in battling the forest fires in a bid to keep the air clean over this provincial city, which is holding the XVIII National Sports Week. In dry season forest or plantation fires often hit Riau and other areas in Sumatra sending thick smoke as far as Malaysia and Singapore. Attempts to extinguish forest fires with artificially made rain will continue in the nine days of the Sport Week, Syamsurizal said. In the past few days there are fewer spots of fires in forest or plantation areas in Riau but smokes still blanketed wide areas including Pekanbaru, he said. A Cassa-212 plane will remain in a standby position at the Sultan Syarif Kasim airport of Pekanbaru with two helicopters which help in looking for the hot spots, he added.