HOT SPOTS CAUSED BY PLANTATION, FOREST FIRES DETECTED IN RIAU

Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Oct. 28 (ANTARA) - The Pekanbaru meteorology and geophysics agency (BMG) has detected a number of hot spots caused by forest and plantation fires in Riau Province.

"The hot spots disappeared a few days ago but now they are back," Marzuki, a BMG Pekanbaru analyst, said here on Tuesday.

Six hot spots were detected in Riau by the Satellite 18 of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on Monday.

The hot spots occurred in Rokan Hilir, Rokan Hulu, Kampar, Kuantan Singingi and Indragiri Hulu districts, he said.

On Sunday (Oct. 26), NOAA detected four hot spots in Riau Province, he said.

BMG also reported that the drought index was quite high in the province, making it prone to plantation and forest fires.

Therefore, BMG urged local people and plantation companies not to clear land for farming by burning bushes because the fires could spread and produce haze.

Big forest fires happened frequently in Indonesia in the past, especially in 1982-83, 1991-92 and 1997/98, partly triggered by drought induced by the El Nino natural phenomenon.

The Indonesian government has issued regulations to ban or eliminate slash-and-burn land clearance methods which cause plantation and forest fires.