Robert Go, Jakarta – Fed up with Jakarta's inability to control haze-inducing fires and to help residents of two provinces smothered by smoke, environmental groups are taking matters into their own hands.

Nineteen non-governmental organisations – part of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) – have decided to mobilise emergency aid and sponsor longer-term fire prevention initiatives against haze.

The NGOs, from Central and West Kalimantan provinces, will tomorrow launch a new campaign to donate masks, drugs and other aid to people who have been besieged by rising plumes of smoke in recent weeks.

Mr Longgena Ginting, the executive director of Walhi, which is an umbrella organisation of over 540 local groups nationwide, said citizens had to take action after the government had proved incapable of doing much.

He told The Straits Times: "The government, at best, has been incompetent. It fails year after year to address the root issues behind the fires. When the situation becomes an emergency like this, all it can do is pray for rain. That is not good enough."

Volunteers and environmental activists from all over the country are to collect donations, including money, masks, drugs, food and other aid items, which are then to be sent to and distributed in fire areas.

Walhi is also beginning a public awareness campaign to encourage farmers and residents to not only cease starting fires to clear land, but to also take part in an early detection and fire-fighting system.

According to satellite data, there are more than 10,000 hotspots across Indonesia, including in Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau and Kalimantan provinces.

Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore have suffered from the problem as well as strong winds have carried smoke and haze towards the north.

But the real emergency, say experts, remains in Indonesia, where as many as four million people are now surrounded by smoke, and face disruptions to their daily lives and several serious health hazards.

Schools have had to close their doors, airports have rerouted or delayed incoming and outgoing planes, and clinics have reported an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for various respiratory, lung and eye problems.

Mr Ahsan Hamidi, coordinator of Walhi's emergency management programme, said: "Lots of people are suffering now. The health threat is very serious and the government cannot take care of this problem. So NGOs now have to fill in."

The focus, however, is not only on the short-term emergency problems posed by the fires. Critics say that the government makes a big issue out of the problem only after the fires have already taken hold and become a major disaster.

Agencies and security officials do not establish good forest and plantation management policies, or enforce existing anti-burning regulations.

NGOs, according to activists, will instead work to convince local people that burning has severe and harmful consequences that hurt local communities.

Mr Longgena said: "We have to nip the problem in the bud. People need to stop burning, and to help the authorities spot fires and take care of them before they spread. We hope that our educational initiatives will help develop such an awareness level, and take care of the haze problem for good."