Pelalawan is the worst affected by haze that has reduced visibility to 50 meters."Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, has opened a health post for passengers exposed to haze arising from Sumatras forest fires, Monday.
"We have readied medicines and masks for outgoing and arriving passengers," Coordinator of the second-class airport of Pekanbaru Albert Jefferson noted here.
The health post will continue to operate as long as the haze affects the city, according to Jefferson.
Since early September, several flights at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport were delayed due to the haze shrouding Pekanbaru.
On Friday, over one thousand passengers returned their plane tickets as their flights were delayed indefinitely.
Haze reduced visibility to 200 meters on Monday morning, forcing delays of flights at the airport. At noon, the flight schedules were resumed as the visibility improved to one thousand meters.
In the meantime, the haze arising from bush fires has reduced visibility in Pelalawan District, Riau Province, to 50 meters.
"Pelalawan is the worst affected by haze that has reduced visibility to 50 meters," Sugarin, the head of the Pekanbaru meteorology office, said here, Monday.
In the provincial capital of Pekanbaru and Rengat city, Indragiri Hulu District, the visibility dropped to around 200 meters, and in Dumai, visibility reached 800 meters.
The Terra and Aqua satellite detected 45 hotspots across Riau Province on Monday morning.
Indragiri Hilir has 10 hotspots, while Kampar and Siak each have three hotspots, and Rokan Hulu and Rokan Hilir have two each.
Of the 45 hotspots, 27 indicated forest, peatland, and plantation fires at the accuracy rate of 70 percent.
Due to the wildfires, operations at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru are nearly paralyzed as the haze has forced the delays of hundreds of flights scheduled since early September.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
