photo: Getty/Gallo
Indonesia has a pollution problem, generated by large forest fires in Sumatra Island.
Wind currents and geographical patterns, place Jakarta square in the downdrift of thick, poisonous pollution, which then stalls over the city due to the high humidity and low laying land. But it also brings it to its wealthy neighbor, Singapore, that has made quite a ruckus on the matter.
Indonesia says it does not have the power to stop to problem and is accusing Singapore of having child like fits in response to the inevitable drifting of the smoke plumes.
In fact, Singapore has made an official request that Indonesia and Sumatran authorities intervene to stop the forest fire raging in the forests of Sumatra.
The air, to say the least, is unbearably thick. But if the fires are not stanched, it risks becoming a health hazard of enormous proportion, due to the high population density of both Jakarta and Singapore.
Meanwhile, readings in Singapore has shown that the air quality has already far surpasses the 300 PSI limit of 'hazardous' and is clocking towards the 400s.
Even shipping and air travel has been halted or disrupted, due to the lack of visibility.
The problem however, is two-fold, and responsibility is hard to assess. Much of the fires are due to clearing of forests for commercial exploitation, and some of the clearing is being done by Singapore too, who has land interests in the cleared fields for the cultivation of crops and palm oil tree.
The problem with this slash and burn techniques in Sumatra to make way for palm oil trees, is comparable to an ecological catastrophe, and is a tragedy that proceeds unabated for years, ruining rainforest habitats and displacing or killing indigenous species, such as the Orangutan monkey.
Singapore has asked Indonesia to provide a map of land concessions in Sumatra to address the illegal burning and destruction of vital rain forests.
Source : Al Jazeera 6.20.13
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