Jakarta, Oct 26, 2015 (Antara) -- Indonesia is now being hit hard by the current prolonged drought induced by El Nino weather phenomena that has triggered widespread forest fires, a water crisis and harvest failures in some regions.
Early this year, El Nino was predicted to develop in a weak fashion, but by the middle of this year, the forecast was upgraded to a weak to moderate El Nino.
Now, NASA has reported that a strong El Niño is developing and appears likely to equal the intensity that it showed during 1997-98, the strongest El Niño on record which had triggered massive forest fires, particularly in Kalimantan where five million hectares of rainforest were destroyed.
This year's El Niño, nicknamed "Godzilla," has significantly reduced precipitation across Indonesia. In parts of East Nusa Tenggara, there has been no rain over the past five months.
The rainy season that usually starts in September or October, has been delayed most likely until November, or even December, or even till early 2016 in certain provinces.
Despite the government's anticipatory efforts to deal with the impact of El Nino, forest fires have produced hazardous haze that caused 10 deaths, left 503 thousand people suffering from illnesses such as acute respiratory infection, eye and skin irritations, and pneumonia, as well as 43 million people exposed to smoke, in six provinces on Sumatra and Kalimantan alone.
The government has deployed more than 20 thousand personnel to extinguish the fires. Malaysia, Singapore and Australia have assisted the fire fighting efforts, rented Russian water bombers have arrived, but the fires continue to rage. Forest fires have also hit parts of Java, Sulawesi and Papua islands.
In the agricultural field, earlier this year, the government had distributed water pumps in many regions to make sure that farmers have adequate water for paddy and other crops.
But water has been scarce and rice fields have dried up, forcing the government to plan for rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam.
"We have reached agreements with Vietnam and Thailand. Based on the agreements, Indonesia will decide on the timing of the imports. Once we make the request, they will need a month to dispatch the rice," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said recently.
In addition to the efforts that have been carried out to deal with the disaster so far, it is now time for the nation to turn to God for help.
The Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) has called on all Muslims in the country to perform an Istisqa or mass prayer, asking for rains in an effort to extinguish the forest fires and cope with water crisis.
"We urge all Muslims in Indonesia to perform the Istisqa," MUI Chairman KH Ma'ruf Amin said recently.
Amin said the Istisqa should be preceded by fasting for three days, saying Istighfar (asking for almighty God's mercy), improving attitude, and practicing a simple and good life.
Muslims in the country need to also ask for pardon from God, shun all sorts of satanic acts, get rid of conflicting attitude towards other people, and intensify acts of charity towards the poor, he said, adding that the prolonged drought might be the almighty God's warning to Indonesia.
The MUI's appeal has been positively responded to by some parties. Over one thousand military personnel, deployed to put out forest fires in South Sumatra, performed the prayers for rain before going to the field on Oct. 22. They asked God Almighty for rains to help speed up the operation to put out the fires.
Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa and hundreds of other Muslims in Katingan District in Central Kalimantan Province, which is the worst hit by the wildfires, also offered prayers for rain on Oct. 25.
Local prominent ulema, Muhammad Rusli Arfan, led the prayers conducted at the police office square amid a thick haze shrouding the city.
A number of children and women also joined the prayers to ask for rains. Kyai Lukmanul Karim from Surabaya, East Java, in his sermon, urged every Muslim to ask for forgiveness from Allah and to repent.
Mariati, a local resident, said this was the second time she was performing special prayers for rains. Recently, mild rain fell in the city.
"I hope the haze would disappear soon, because it has caused respiratory problems. I pity the children," Mariati stated.
The inhabitants and Mayor of Bandung, M Ridwan Kamil, also performed a mass prayer for rain in the Bandung square, on Oct. 25.
During the mass prayer led by Dadang Suherman, which was followed by a sermon delivered by Sukriadi Sambas, they asked God the Almighty for rain to help extinguish forest and plantation fires in a number of regions across Indonesia, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
They also collected money to be donated to victims of the haze emanating from the wildfires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. After the prayers, they managed to collect Rp250 million.
"The aid collection activity will continue until next week. We organized prayers and collected money to celebrate the victory of the Bandung football club recently," he said.
Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said as they prayed, they asked for forgiveness and rain from Allah so that the prolonged drought ends.
"Bandung City is also hit by the drought, but the istisqa prayer is particularly dedicated to regions shrouded by the haze," the Ridwan Kamil, who is popularly known as Emil, said.
Chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) Yusril Ihza Mahendra even suggested to the government to immediately instruct clerics across the country to conduct prayers for rains to deal with the impact of such a severe drought.
KH Hasyim Muzadi, a member of the Presidential Advisory Council, has said Vice President Jusuf Kalla has agreed to a proposal to perform nation-wide "Istisqa" prayers asking for rains to deal with the impacts of the prolonged drought. ***4***
(f001/INE/B003)
26-10-2015 23:06:59
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