Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara) - Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has sawed 3.9 thousand kg of salt in the air over Riau to induce rain and help put out the forest and land fires in the province. "We have been operating since last Wednesday and have sawed 3.9 thousand kg of salt using a Cassa aircraft," Heru Widodo, an executive of the BPPT, stated here on Friday. He noted that his agency will continue to induce rain on Friday by spreading about 3 thousand kg of salt. "We will fly three times today to saw one thousand kg in each flight," Heru explained. The BPPT has prepared 50 tons of salt for the air modification program. "We have tried to create cloud seeds to induce rain in the air of the districts of Kuantan Singingi, Benkalis, Pelalawan and Kampar," he added. He explained that his agency was still only able to produce local rain with less intensity. But the efforts have helped reduce the thickness of haze. "We predict that beginning March 10, more cloud seeds will be created," he noted. The Riau Province has declared an emergency status due to haze on February 26. Fires have razed a total of 12 thousand hectares of land and forests and caused health problems to 37,859 people. "The number of people with haze-related illnesses has increased several times in recent weeks. Mostly, haze victims suffer from respiratory infections after inhaling the air in Riau," the Chief of Riau Health Service Zainal Arifin stated here on Thursday. According to the local Health Service data, there are 33.3 thousand people who are suffering from upper respiratory track infections. In the meantime, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, together with the Riau Province Administration, has distributed aid to 221 victims of the Riau haze in Bengkalis District. "We have distributed staple food, bottles of mineral water, medicines and other necessities to the refugees who were evacuated to an emergency shelter," the chief of the agency, Syamsul Maarif, clarified here on Thursday. He stated that the regional administration has been monitoring the haze disaster victims' needs in the shelter. "The regional government will compensate the victims," Syamsul added. The Deputy Governor of the Riau province, Arsyadjuliandi Rachman, explained that the administration is coordinating with the district administration to monitor the haze disaster in each area. "We hope that the district administration will immediately inform the province's government to rescue and distribute aid to help the victims," Arsyadjuliandi remarked. The chief of the Riau Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency Said Saqlul Amri asserted that the institution has provisions to help the refugees in Pekanbaru and other districts. "We have the provisions to fulfill their needs, including food and beverages, tents and fresh water," Said added. (*)

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