Stop All Fires From Spreading Orders Jokowi

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The haze covering parts of Kuala Lumpur at noon today. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called for every fire in his country, no matter how small, to be controlled to prevent it from spreading, as neighbouring countries struggle to cope with the haze.
Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, warned that smoke from forest and land fires in Indonesia has the potential to spread widely.
Bernama reported from Jakarta he also ordered his top military and police officers, as well as regional governments to take immediate action to overcome the problem.
“Indeed, every fire produces smoke that can spread widely if it is carried by the wind,” he was quoted as saying.
“Every point of fire, no matter how small, must be controlled to prevent it from spreading.”
Jokowi said the temperature in Indonesia is now hotter than normal, and the dry season has the potential to increase and expand hotspots in several regions.
However, he is confident the fire control efforts being carried out now are better compared to the forest fires in 2015.
“We can still control it well here,” he said.
In Kuala Lumpur, parts of the city were shrouded by haze today, with Batu Muda in Batu Caves recording an unhealthy Air Pollutant Index reading of 115 as of noon.
Last evening, three areas in Johor and one in Negeri Sembilan also recorded unhealthy API readings of between 105 and 160.
In Singapore, government agencies have implemented measures to mitigate the impact of haze as the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (24hr PSI) entered the “unhealthy” range today, Bernama reported. - FMT

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