Pekanbaru, Riau, (Antarariau.com) - The NOAA 18 Satellite operated by the United States detected a total of 543 hotspots in Riau during June 2014, which is the highest in the past three months.
"Currently, the Haze Disaster Mitigation Emergency Response Task Force is tackling the forest fire problem in Riau," Head of the Riau Disaster Mitigation Office Said Saqlul Amri remarked here on Wednesday.
Of the 543 hotspots, 208 were found in Rokan Hilir District, 66 in Bengkalis, 52 in Pelalawan, 46 in Dumai, 45 in Indragiri Hulu, 25 in Indragiri Hilir, 23 in Rokan Hulu, 23 in Kampar, 22 in Siak, and one each in Meranti Islands and Pekanbaru City.
During January-June 2014, at least 3,121 hotspots were detected in Riau Province, including 653 in Bengkalis and 490 in Rokan Hilir.
The task force has deployed several aerial and land borne teams to extinguish the hotspots.
Meanwhile, the haze emanating from the forest and plantation fires has led to deterioration in the air quality in Dumai City, Riau Province, with the pollutant index reaching 201 PSI recently.
"Such a condition is categorized as very unhealthy," Said Saqlul Amri noted.
Several cities in Riau Province have been covered by haze since the past few days.
The haze from forest fires had caused low visibility in several districts in Riau province such as Dumai, Rengat, Pelalawan, and Bengkalis, Said Saqlul Amri earlier reported.
"Visibility in Dumai city, for instance, is only three kilometers. Fortunately, the situation is not yet disturbing the daily lives here," noted Amri.
The Riau provincial police named 62 suspects in forest and plantation fire cases.
"We are still investigating the environmental crimes, and the number of suspects might increase," spokesman of the Riau police adjunct Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo recently stated.
The police detained 62 suspects between April 5 and June 27, 2014.
These suspects also included alleged illegal loggers and those encroaching on forests, Tejo added.
Some 543 Hotspots Detected In Riau In June
