ID :
70420
Tue, 07/14/2009 - 21:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/70420
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HAZE AGAIN COVERS PONTIANAK
Pontianak, West Kalimantan, July 14 (ANTARA) - Haze again covered Pontianak and its surrounding areas on Tuesday morning after one full week of zero rainfall.
Suburban areas covered by haze included Kota Baru, Ampera, Purnama, Sungai Raya Dalam, Siantan, and Parit Haji Husin II.
The areas are mostly covered by peatland which can easily catch fire.
Donatus Budiono (33), a resident of Perdamaian street, Kota Baru, Pontianak, said the haze had disturbed his routine activity and affected his health.
Visibility in Kota Baru had dropped to only around 50 meters due to haze.
Aris (35), a resident of Sungai Raya Dalam, Pontianak Selatan, said the haze situation had become routine in the town.
"People here have now become used to haze," Aris said.
Pontianak's Supadio Airport was closed for around one hour, on Tuesday, from 6 to 7 am local time due to haze.
Head of the state company managing Supadio airport, PT Angkasa Pura II, Syarif Usmulyani, said haze had reduced visibility at the airport to less than one kilometer.
"Because visibility is less than one kilometer, the airport had to be closed," Syarif Usmulyani said.
A visibility of less than one kilometer could endanger flights, he said.
Among domestic airlines conducting flights to Pontianak are Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Garuda Indonesia.
Widespread fires happen in peat lands with increasing frequency. About 2.1 million hectares were burned during the 1997/98 El Nino phenomenon which turned peatlands into major annual fire flash points in Kalimantan.
In 2002, 2005 and 2006, there were large-scale forest and plantation fires in Central Kalimantan due to forest conversion and peat land exploitation.
Indonesia's forest fire problem is largely related to burning peat vegetation and peat soils. Indonesia has vast peat lands valuable for their forest biodiversity, carbon storage, hydrological functions and fisheries.
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Suburban areas covered by haze included Kota Baru, Ampera, Purnama, Sungai Raya Dalam, Siantan, and Parit Haji Husin II.
The areas are mostly covered by peatland which can easily catch fire.
Donatus Budiono (33), a resident of Perdamaian street, Kota Baru, Pontianak, said the haze had disturbed his routine activity and affected his health.
Visibility in Kota Baru had dropped to only around 50 meters due to haze.
Aris (35), a resident of Sungai Raya Dalam, Pontianak Selatan, said the haze situation had become routine in the town.
"People here have now become used to haze," Aris said.
Pontianak's Supadio Airport was closed for around one hour, on Tuesday, from 6 to 7 am local time due to haze.
Head of the state company managing Supadio airport, PT Angkasa Pura II, Syarif Usmulyani, said haze had reduced visibility at the airport to less than one kilometer.
"Because visibility is less than one kilometer, the airport had to be closed," Syarif Usmulyani said.
A visibility of less than one kilometer could endanger flights, he said.
Among domestic airlines conducting flights to Pontianak are Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Garuda Indonesia.
Widespread fires happen in peat lands with increasing frequency. About 2.1 million hectares were burned during the 1997/98 El Nino phenomenon which turned peatlands into major annual fire flash points in Kalimantan.
In 2002, 2005 and 2006, there were large-scale forest and plantation fires in Central Kalimantan due to forest conversion and peat land exploitation.
Indonesia's forest fire problem is largely related to burning peat vegetation and peat soils. Indonesia has vast peat lands valuable for their forest biodiversity, carbon storage, hydrological functions and fisheries.
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