Haze must not be brushed off as a mere annual nuisance

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The haze emanating from peat forest fires of Indonesia is an exasperating perennial problem plaguing the whole region.

It seems after so many years and so many regional consultations and conferences on how to tackle this choking smoke, nothing more could be written about it.

All the preventive measures imposed to stop this massive open burning by plantations clearing the forests of Kalimantan and Sumatra had proven to be mere ‘hot air’.

This impotence of the Indonesian government in stopping this annual open burning despite protests from its neighbours have only encouraged those in the plantation industry to take the easy way out in clearing the massive swathes  of forests to plant oil palm.

However, this year’s haze cannot be brushed off as another annual nuisance which we just have to live through as unlike in the past when it came and dissipated after a few months, this year’s smoke has lingered longer than usual and is set to stay until next year.

The health hazard faced by the people, especially those living near the areas that are burning, had reached an alarming level due to the prolonged exposure to the smoke.

The situation is so bad in the worst hit areas of Indonesia where the API has reached an unheard of 2000 that the Indonesian government is sending its navy ships to evacuate the people.

What makes it even more troubling is that nobody knows when the haze would go away as the fires have spread to such an extent that it is now humanly impossible to put them out.

We have to literally wait for divine intervention hoping for the rainy season to set in and douse the fires.

The situation the whole region is enduring now is a classic payback of nature to the total disregard of the balance between commercial agriculture and conservation by men.

The unrestrained clearing of the trees of which canopies provide a natural cover for the peat soil to keep it moist and the draining of the land to plant oil palm combined with the periodic El nino  weather phenomenon, have created a ‘perfect storm’ of natural disaster.

While the culprits behind the raging infernos must be identified and dealt with, it is an exasperating exercise that is easier said than done.

One of the reasons why it has been so difficult to bring the companies to book is that it is near impossible to pinpoint who actually started the fire.

Was it the plantation companies or their contractors taking the easy way out by resorting to slash and burn to clear the land?

There are also accusations that it was the small holders and farmers who started the fire.

This suggestion is credible as it cannot be denied that many farmers and small holders are joining the oil palm bandwagon and clearing their land.

Lacking big machinery and the resources to employ many workers the only way to clear large areas of the jungle is by slash and burn.

However, as this prolonged environmental crisis is posing grave health danger to the people the regional governments cannot afford to waste time pointing fingers because their first priority now is to alleviate the suffering of the people.

Hopefully this year’s haze would trigger a concerted effort by Indonesia and its neighbouring countries to seek a permanent solution to this annual health hazard.

Perhaps we have finally learnt our lesson; or will we ever learn?