The Haze - Bad news and Good news

The image below shows firemen putting out a fire in Ogan Ilir in southern Sumatra. By the way, Sumatra is separated from Malaysia by just a narrow Straits of Malacca which explains why skies over Peninsula Malaysia get shrouded with smog when these peat fires start burning large tracks of dry forest land in Sumatra.

Dousing the flames: Firemen putting out a fire in Ogan Ilir, southern Sumatra. — AFP

This is the type of fire hotspots that have been raging the last two months and the very same ones that are causing the haze in the region. There are hundreds of these hotspots in various parts of Indonesia, especially Sumatra and Kalimantan.

It has been reported that 32 helicopters and aircraft were already deployed over Indonesia to put out the fires.

Six of these were from Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. This includes seven fixed wing water-bombers and four planes for cloud seeding.

Two Russian Beriev Be-200 amphibious water-bombers, capable of dropping 12,000 litres each, have also been brought in.

The Met Department says the northeast monsoon is expected to kick in soon and it is hopeful that by the middle or end of next week, the skies will be clear. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

If you are planning a trip to Malaysia, it is still safe to make that trip. The sky may not be blue and clear but people go about their business without the need for a mask. So, there. It's still ok to enjoy a holiday here in the country or in Kuala Lumpur for that matter. I swear.


Source: The Star