Sumatra, Carbon stock, Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APP, APRIL, fire hotspots, giam siak kecil, pulpwood, Sumatera Riang Lestari,
EoF News (PEKANBARU)— At least 172 hotspots accumulatively detected by Modis Terra Aqua satellite in Riau Province this week, during 18-21 October, which put 48% of total hotspots recorded in pulpwood concessions. The rest 90 hotspots found in various lands that could be palm oil plantations, wasteland and forest.
EoF analyzed that there is 62 hotspots inside Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) affiliated plantations, mostly in Giam Siak Kecil landscape where UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve located, while 20 hotspots detected in Asian Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL).
APP is a China’s Shanghai-based company, while APRIL is Singapore’s headquartered one, the country now complained over haze pollution –beside Malaysia-- that accused the haze come from Sumatra forest fires.
*Crash Image*
Some affiliated companies to APP/Sinarmas that EoF analyzed based on the Modis satellite that raged by fires in October are PT Tiara Cahaya Delima (Giam Siak Kecil block), PT Liwa Perdana Mandiri, PT Ruas Utama Jaya (Senepis block), PT Surya Dumai Agrindo, PT Rimba Rokan Perkasa, PT Arara Abadi and PT Satria Perkasa Agung.
Hotspots also found in transition and buffer zones and core area of Giam Siak Kecil Unesco Biosphere Reserve, EoF analyzed.
While, APRIL affialiated company that raged by fires is in concession of PT Sumatera Riang Lestari (SRL) and PT Mega Pusaka.
Dumai town, and Bengkalis district are two areas in the province that suffered badly with polluted haze where Dumai’s airport, Pinang Kampai was closed due to the haze. Water transportation in Bengkalis district also disrupted by low visibility, approximately in 200-300 m range, where operators feared of collision.
Hundreds of residents reported to suffer respiration infection due to the pollution in Dumai and Bengkalis, media reported.
An official of Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru said that the wind blowing haze to Malaysia and Singapore neighboring countries, as the wind headed from South to North and Northeast, Riau Mandiri daily reported Friday.
***