Jakarta, Oct 23, 2015 (Antara)- The haze-choked Sumatran inhabitants' hopes of foreign assistance expediting the process of extinguishing the forest fires has suffered a setback as Australia and Malaysia withdrew their aircraft since the fires are spreading to wider areas.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has recorded a total of 2,742 hotspots of forest, peatland, and plantation fires across Indonesia on Oct 22, including 703 hotspots in South Sumatra, 36 in Riau, and 23 in Bangka Belitung.
"Thick haze is still shrouding Sumatra, Kalimantan, and parts of Papua," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of the BNPB, stated in Jakarta on Oct. 23, 2015.
The haze has also affected Singapore and certain parts of Malaysia and Thailand. Therefore, the Indonesian government decided to accept the offers put forth by Malaysia and Singapore to fight the wildfires.
However, low visibility and limited water sources have reportedly impeded the operations of foreign aircraft from Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore assisting in putting out the land and forest fires in the worst-hit South Sumatran province.
During their six-day operation, some of the foreign aircraft encountered difficulties in conducting water bombing as the visibility had dropped to only 700 meters in several areas, Wiliem Rampangile, the head of the BNPB, noted recently.
During their six-day operation, some of the foreign aircraft encountered difficulties in conducting water bombing as the visibility had dropped to only 700 meters in several areas, Wiliem Rampangile, the head of the BNPB, noted recently.
In the forest fire-affected areas of Cengal and Pedamaran in Ogan Komering Ilir district, only a Malaysian plane with a capacity of carrying 5 thousand liters of water proved effective in accessing the target site without having to return to the base for refilling, he said.
In the meantime, a Hercules N405 LC plane from Australia which has a capacity of carrying 15 thousand liters of water had difficulties reaching the scene due to low visibility, he said.
In the meantime, a Hercules N405 LC plane from Australia which has a capacity of carrying 15 thousand liters of water had difficulties reaching the scene due to low visibility, he said.
The Australian and Malaysian teams ended their five-day operation to put out the fires in South Sumatra on Oct. 19, leaving 10 Indonesian and a Singaporean aircraft to continue the difficult task.
Singapore sent a RSAF Chinook helicopter with a 5,000-litre heli-bucket and 34 SAF personnel to help fight the ongoing forest fires, and also a 6-man Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team from the SCDF.
The Japanese government has given 100 bottles of a fire extinguisher liquid substance, namely "Miracle Foam a+," to the Indonesian government.
Several experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would also be sent by the Japanese government to assist the forest fire extinguishing efforts, according to Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Yasuaki Tanizaki.
In the meantime, the joint task force has been optimizing its firefighting efforts on land to immediately extinguish the fires, besides intensifying the air operations.
In the meantime, the joint task force has been optimizing its firefighting efforts on land to immediately extinguish the fires, besides intensifying the air operations.
"The government has intensified its efforts to combat forest and plantation fires, but it is not an easy task," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in Palembang, South Sumatra Province, on Oct. 20.
According to Pandjaitan, the personnel have encountered difficulties in putting out the wild fires in peatland areas as the blazes have been worsened by extreme and prolonged drought induced by strong El Nino weather phenomena.
The authorities and public are now pinning their hopes on two Russian multipurpose Beriev Be-200 Altair amphibious aircraft being rented by the Indonesian government, with the assistance of private companies, to help extinguish the fires.
The Russian aircraft that came with 20 Russian personnel, arrived in South Sumatra on Oct. 21 and will operate until October 31, according to the Commander of the Palembang air force base, Lt. Col MRY Falefie.
The Russian aircraft that came with 20 Russian personnel, arrived in South Sumatra on Oct. 21 and will operate until October 31, according to the Commander of the Palembang air force base, Lt. Col MRY Falefie.
"The amphibious planes will take water from Malacca Strait, and will be on standby at the Pangkal Pinang airport," he said.
Pangkal Pinang had enough visibility levels for safe flying. The Russian aircraft can make seven to eight sorties with a water carrying capacity of 12,000 liters of water per sortie.
Besides, the Indonesian government is intensifying its air operations by deploying additional aircraft to conduct water bombing activities.
"The air task force will be strengthened by deploying more water bombing aircraft, considering that the dry weather is worsening and has the potential to trigger more fires," Nugroho stated.
The agency has been assigned the task to calculate the number of B-200 Bombardier and Air Tractor aircraft needed to drop water bombs.
The Indonesian government will contact Russia, Canada, and Australia as well as other countries having such aircraft.
Most of all, the authorities and public in general are hoping for the arrival of rains, which will be most effective in putting out the wildfires.
The Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), therefore, has called on all Muslims in the country to perform an Istisqa or mass prayer asking for rains.
"We urge all Muslims in Indonesia to perform the Istisqa," MUI Chairman KH Ma'ruf Amin told journalists in Jakarta on Oct. 21.
Amin said the Istisqa should be preceded by fasting for three days, saying Istighfar (asking for almighty God's mercy), improving attitude, and practicing simple and good life.
In fact, Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar earlier said efforts to put out the wild fires would have no impact and that only the expected onset of the rainy season in November will help.
"Unless there is rain, there is no way human intervention can put out the fires," he told AFP on the sidelines of Malaysia's parliament session on Oct. 19, 2015.
He warned that the blazes were spread across "huge areas" of Indonesia and even the multi-nation effort now under way "is not enough to put out the fires".
"We hope the rains will come in mid-November. It will be able to put out the fires," Wan Junaidi was quoted as saying by AFP.
Indonesia usually experiences rainy season starting September or October, but El Nino is expected to delay the onset of this year's rainy season until November or even December.
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 23-10-2015 13:02:29
(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 23-10-2015 13:02:29
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