Indonesia starts cloud seeding operations

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Jun 23, 2013

(Asia Report) – Indonesia yesterday began cloud seeding operations and water bombing of raging fires on plantations in Riau, after declaring a state of emergency in the area.

Three helicopters, a Cassa aircraft and an air force Hercules took off from Pekanbaru Airport in Riau at 5pm to begin those operations, said Mr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency.

“The operations will continue today, until enough rain is successfully induced,” he said.

As of 9pm, no rain had been reported in the Dumai and Bengkalis regencies – two of the three areas reporting hot spots.

But the water bombing had apparently helped improve conditions in Singapore.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to take over fire- extinguishing efforts in Riau, the agency’s emergency response director Tri Budiarto told The Jakarta Post.

BNPB also said it had deployed two helicopters last Friday to spray water and one aircraft for cloud seeding.

The measures came as Singapore and Malaysia moved to address concerns over haze.

Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan travelled to Jakarta last Friday as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s special envoy to discuss the crisis. Malaysia has said it would send its environment minister to Jakarta on Wednesday.

Earlier yesterday, several Indonesian ministers and officials visited hot spots in Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir and Dumai city.

“Fire in Rokan Hilir regency and Dumai city continued unabated yesterday, with the wind above these areas blowing east, towards Singapore,” said Mr Sutopo.