Indonesian people pray for rain amid raging forest fires
Thousands of people in Indonesia prayed for rain in haze-hit towns throughout Sumatra and Borneo islands as forest fires raged at the height of the dry season, Antara news agency reported on September 11.
People in Indonesia pray for rain (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Thousandsof people in Indonesia prayed for rain in haze-hit towns throughout Sumatra andBorneo islands as forest fires raged at the height of the dry season, Antaranews agency reported on September 11.
Thousands of people in Pekanbaruof Riau province in Sumatra held Islamic prayers for rain outside thegovernor's office. Many of those taking part wore face masks to protectthemselves from the smoke.
Similar prayers were held intowns in Kalimantan on Borneo island, where air quality has been at unhealthylevels and schools forced to close.
Fires have burnt through partsof Sumatra and Borneo islands for more than a month and the Indonesiangovernment has sent 9,000 military, police and disaster agency personnel tofight the flames.
Indonesian authorities are using37 helicopters and 239 million litres of water bombs to attack the blazes,while aircraft were seeding clouds in the hope of generating rain.
The country’s disaster agencysaid 5,062 fire "hot spots" had been detected in six Indonesianprovinces, as of September 11 morning.
Endro Wibowo, deputy policechief of the town of Sampit in Central Kalimantan province, said his team wasworking around the clock to put out the fires.
Indonesia has been facing asevere dry season induced by El Nino that triggered drought and forest fires inseveral provinces this year. Wildfires occur in Indonesia in every dry seasondue to traditional burning practices in agriculture to clear landfor palm oil and pulp plantations./.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has issued a permanent moratorium on new forest clearance for activities such as palm plantations or logging, according to Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of Indonesia has warned about high risks of forest and land fires in many Southeast Asian countries as a result of dry conditions in the region.
The forest fire task force of Indonesia’s Riau province has deployed four helicopters to douse the forest fires raging across the southern part of the province on Sumatra Island.
Malaysia is planning to seed clouds to make rain as air quality in many areas of the country has reached unhealthy levels due to smog from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
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People in Indonesia pray for rain (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
