T

he air quality in several cities across Riau province dropped to "dangerous" levels Tuesday, due to thick haze from forest fires that also disrupted flights and forced schools to close.

The thick smog also lead to eye irritations and respiratory difficulties among local residents.

Ibnu Hasan, duty manager of the Sultan Syarif Kasim Airport in the provincial capital Pekanbaru, said flights there had been disrupted for a second straight day, with three flights postponed due to low visibility.

"The pilots didn't want to risk flying with such poor visibility," he told The Jakarta Post.

He added an inbound flight had to be diverted Tuesday morning to Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, because of the haze.

Readings of PM10 particulates ranged between 120 and 404 microns per cubic meter, far higher than the tolerable level of 100.

The head of the city's environmental agency, Dedi Gusriadi, said residents of Pekanbaru had had only two days of healthy air throughout July.

"These are the worst levels of air pollution we've seen in Pekanbaru in the past two years," he said.

In Siak regency, the education agency ordered all kindergartens and grade schools to close for three days.

"The younger students are very vulnerable to the pollution," said Siak regency spokesman Hendri San.

"Students in fourth grade and up will still have classes, but will not take part in any outdoor activities."

There has also been a marked increase in the number of residents complaining of sore eyes and breathing difficulties, as a result of the choking smog.

"I'm having trouble breathing and my eyes are red and sore," said Nasir, a civil servant at the governor's office.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar and his Malaysian counterpart, Douglas Uggah Embas, will meet Saturday in Riau to discuss the out-of-control forest fires in the province that are also threatening the neighboring country.

The snap meeting is expected to call for concerted measures to be taken to ensure the haze does not reach other countries.

"The two ministers will discuss cooperation in tackling the forest fires, mainly in Rokan Hilir regency," said Purwasto Sapoprayogi, head of the ministry's forest fire unit.

WWF Indonesia has reported a rise in the number of hot spots in Riau, from less than 1,000 in January to nearly 2,400 in July - the highest number anywhere in the country.

A hot spot is defined as a fire covering at least a hectare of land.

Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban, in a mind-boggling statement, said the government would only take firm action to control fires if the haze disrupts flights and sparks protests in neighboring countries.

"We must accept the fact that haze might reach other regions, like Batam and other parts of Sumatra," he said.

"Why should we care about domestic affairs? Our international image is what matters."