State of emergency as fires shroud Malaysia in smoke
Source: Agencies |
June 24, 2013, Monday
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MALAYSIA has declared a state of emergency in two parts of the southern state of Johor, with smoke from land-clearing fires in Indonesia pushing air pollution above hazardous levels.
The illegal burning of forests and other land on Indonesia's Sumatra island, to the west of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to clear space for palm oil plantations is a chronic problem during the June-September dry season.
The "haze" caused by fires in Riau province on Sumatra has also shrouded neighboring Singapore but air quality there improved over the weekend.
"Prime Minister Najib Razak has agreed to declare emergency status in Muar and Ledang with immediate effect," Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel said.
Palanivel said the air pollution index in the two districts had exceeded 750. A reading above 300 indicates air pollution is hazardous.
Domestic media quoted the minister as saying cloud seeding would be carried out in affected areas.
All 211 schools in the area are to be closed until further notice, residents have been advised to stay indoors and face masks have been distributed, Khaled Nordin, chief minister of the state, said. Schools have been ordered shut in the neighboring state of Malacca, where pollution has also reached hazardous levels. Schools were also ordered to close in one district in Pahang state.
Airports were operating as usual despite the haze and the current visibility level of about a kilometer was still safe, an airports official said, but runways would have to close if visibility fell under 300 meters.
The crisis has brought more negative publicity for big palm oil companies - Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian - which deforest vast swathes of Sumatra, as well as other areas of Indonesia and Malaysia, although the companies say they have strict "no burn" policies.
Indonesia's government has outlawed the use of fire to clear land, but weak enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.
Singapore and Indonesia have lashed out at each other in recent days. Malaysia's government has so far avoided strong criticism of its big Southeast Asian neighbor.
Environmental group Greenpeace said NASA data indicated hundreds of fires were burning in palm oil concessions owned by Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean companies.
The illegal burning of forests and other land on Indonesia's Sumatra island, to the west of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to clear space for palm oil plantations is a chronic problem during the June-September dry season.
The "haze" caused by fires in Riau province on Sumatra has also shrouded neighboring Singapore but air quality there improved over the weekend.
"Prime Minister Najib Razak has agreed to declare emergency status in Muar and Ledang with immediate effect," Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel said.
Palanivel said the air pollution index in the two districts had exceeded 750. A reading above 300 indicates air pollution is hazardous.
Domestic media quoted the minister as saying cloud seeding would be carried out in affected areas.
All 211 schools in the area are to be closed until further notice, residents have been advised to stay indoors and face masks have been distributed, Khaled Nordin, chief minister of the state, said. Schools have been ordered shut in the neighboring state of Malacca, where pollution has also reached hazardous levels. Schools were also ordered to close in one district in Pahang state.
Airports were operating as usual despite the haze and the current visibility level of about a kilometer was still safe, an airports official said, but runways would have to close if visibility fell under 300 meters.
The crisis has brought more negative publicity for big palm oil companies - Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian - which deforest vast swathes of Sumatra, as well as other areas of Indonesia and Malaysia, although the companies say they have strict "no burn" policies.
Indonesia's government has outlawed the use of fire to clear land, but weak enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.
Singapore and Indonesia have lashed out at each other in recent days. Malaysia's government has so far avoided strong criticism of its big Southeast Asian neighbor.
Environmental group Greenpeace said NASA data indicated hundreds of fires were burning in palm oil concessions owned by Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean companies.
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