Indonesia claims haze now 'greatly reduced'
Source: Agencies |
June 30, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INDONESIA said yesterday that fires across giant rainforests which caused Southeast Asia's worst air pollution crisis in years had been greatly reduced and were coming under control.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa gave the assessment after briefing his counterparts from neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, the two countries most affected by the toxic smoke. "The situation is more positive," Natalegawa said after meeting Anifah Aman of Malaysia and Singapore's K Shanmugam at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations annual gathering in Brunei.
He said the affected areas on Sumatra island had dropped to 4,081 hectares, about a quarter of the size from when the fires were at their peak this month.
The so-called "haze" is an annual concern as traditional slash-and-burn farmers and modern corporate palm oil plantation firms burn Sumatra's forests and peat lands to clear land for agricultural use.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa gave the assessment after briefing his counterparts from neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, the two countries most affected by the toxic smoke. "The situation is more positive," Natalegawa said after meeting Anifah Aman of Malaysia and Singapore's K Shanmugam at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations annual gathering in Brunei.
He said the affected areas on Sumatra island had dropped to 4,081 hectares, about a quarter of the size from when the fires were at their peak this month.
The so-called "haze" is an annual concern as traditional slash-and-burn farmers and modern corporate palm oil plantation firms burn Sumatra's forests and peat lands to clear land for agricultural use.
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