Indonesian forest fires that have caused choking smoke to drift across Southeast Asia are spreading to new areas and are unlikely to be put out until next year, experts said on Monday.
Indonesia has come under increased pressure from its neighbours to contain the annual "haze" crisis, which is caused by slash-and-burn agriculture practices, largely on Sumatra and Kalimantan.
But it has failed to put out the fires, with "hot spots" growing in eastern parts of the country and industry officials and analysts estimating the smoke will last until early 2016.
"Maybe it will last until December and January," said Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research, adding that hot spots had reached Papua, a region that usually avoids widespread fires.
"It is because people are opening new agriculture areas, like palm oil," he said.
A senior official at a company active in Indonesia's forested areas said the haze could continue until March.
Indonesia usually enters its wet season in October and November, but this year the country is expected to face moderate El Nino dry conditions which could strengthen until December and may hinder efforts to control the fires.
Indonesia's national disaster management agency has made several forecasts for when the forest fires will be brought under control, many of which have now passed, but their latest target date is early November.
Indonesia has revoked the land licences of PT Mega Alam Sentosa and state-owned PT Dyera Hutan Lestari, Rasio Rido Sani, the director general for law enforcement at the forestry ministry, told reporters late on Monday.
Both firms could not be reached for comment.
Last month, Indonesia ordered four companies to suspend operations for allegedly causing forest fires.
On the ground, NASA satellites detected 1,729 fire alerts across Indonesia on Wednesday, a national holiday, more than any single day in the last two years.
About half of the fires during the last week have been on carbon-rich peat land areas, mostly in South Sumatra, South and Central Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has increased government efforts to tackle the haze in recent weeks, making several visits to the worst-hit areas and asking other countries for help, but apparently to little avail.
"We all know that the burnt areas are now widening beyond normal conditions," Widodo told reporters on Sunday. " ... the efforts to extinguish the fires are ongoing now both by land and air. We have to be patient because the burnt areas is now wide."
Reuters
Mon Oct 19 2015
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has increased government efforts to tackle the haze in recent weeks and making several visits to the worst-hit areas.
Tentera Udara Malaysia, Indonesia akan laksanakan rondaan udara bersama
Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dan Tentera Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI AU) merancang untuk mengadakan rondaan udara bersama selama tiga hari dari 20 hingga 22 Mei ini.
Sheriff: Raih RM55 juta, cipta fenomena tersendiri
Filem aksi, Sheriff sudah meraih kutipan RM55 juta.
Pertukaran, bayaran balik tiket bermula Ahad hingga Selasa
Pertukaran dan bayaran balik tiket perlawanan pembukaan Liga Super Malaysia dan Piala Sumbangsih antara Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) dan Selangor FC yang dibatalkan pada Jumaat, boleh dibuat mulai Ahad hingga Selasa.
Jangan buat spekulasi, biar polis siasat
Polis mengingatkan semua pihak supaya tidak membuat sebarang spekulasi berkaitan kebakaran 36 motosikal penuntut Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP) yang diparkir di kolong sebuah blok kompleks perumahan (kolej kediaman) Pauh Putra, di Arau pada awal pagi Sabtu.
Siapa menang? Siapa kalah? Tegakkan demokrasi
Ridauddin Daud, Wartawan Astro AWANI
Keputusan tidak rasmi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
Keputusan tidak rasmi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
Pertukaran, bayaran balik tiket Piala Sumbangsih bermula esok hingga Selasa
Pertukaran dan bayaran balik tiket perlawanan pembukaan Liga Super Malaysia dan Piala Sumbangsih antara JDT dan Selangor FC yang dibatalkan semalam boleh dibuat mulai esok hingga Selasa.
Pengundian awal, apa desas desus?
Hasimi Muhammad, Wartawan Astro AWANI
[TERKINI] Menang undi awal polis, tentera
Keputusan tidak rasmi yang dikongsikan oleh Setiausaha Agung UMNO, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki di Facebook menyaksikan Sock Tao menang dengan majoriti 436 undi.
Machado, Saddil mungkin terlepas aksi pertama Liga Super - Kim Swee
Dua pemain import Sabah FC iaitu Ramon Machado dan Saddil Ramdani mungkin terlepas aksi pertama Liga Super menentang Penang FC.