Parents of students in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, are hoping the\nlocal education office will close schools or implement distance learning\n(PJJ). The request comes as haze from forest and land fires (karhutla)\nhas thickened once again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past three days the haze has started to thicken. Today as\nwell. Previously schools were closed, then they reopened. If conditions\nstart to get thick again, I hope schools will be closed again or\nchildren can study from home online,\u201d said Rahmawati, a parent of a\nsecond-grade student at MIN 4 Pontianak, as reported by Antara on Friday\n(21\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
Parents are worried about their children\u2019s condition due to the haze.\nShe said the poor air quality shrouded in smoke could potentially cause\nchildren to suffer from acute respiratory infections and other\nillnesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know children at school will definitely play outside and do not\nfully understand that the haze is dangerous. So we hope the Pontianak\ncity government, through the relevant agency, will issue a policy to\ntemporarily close schools or conduct online learning,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In August 2026, haze began affecting a number of areas in West\nKalimantan, including Pontianak. The haze is the result of land fires in\nseveral regions.<\/p>\n
A total of 3,759 hotspots were detected in West Kalimantan based on\nmonitoring on 20 August 2026 from 00.00 to 23.00 WIB. Data sourced from\nthe West Kalimantan Provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) based\non BMKG monitoring showed that of the total hotspots detected, 224 had a\nhigh confidence level, 3,389 had medium confidence, and 146 had low\nconfidence.<\/p>\n
Ketapang regency was the area with the highest number of hotspots,\nreaching 1,795. This was followed by Sanggau with 466, Landak with 268,\nKubu Raya with 254, North Kayong with 200, and Melawi with 190. Sekadau\nrecorded 150, Kapuas Hulu 126, Sintang 111, Bengkayang 95, Sambas 59,\nMempawah 44, and Singkawang 1. Meanwhile, Pontianak city was not\ndetected to have any hotspots during the monitoring period.<\/p>\n
Hotspot detection was carried out using VIIRS and MODIS sensors\ninstalled on several satellites, namely NOAA-20, S-NPP, Terra, and Aqua.\nThese satellites detect thermal anomalies compared to surrounding\nconditions.<\/p>\n
Air quality in Pontianak was monitored at a very poor level. Based on\nIQAir data, Pontianak\u2019s air quality index (AQI\u207a US) reached 491 at 09.00\nWIB on Thursday, 21 August 2026. This figure falls into the \u2018hazardous\u2019\ncategory. Under such conditions, air quality is not only a concern for\nvulnerable groups but has the potential to impact the health of the\ngeneral public.<\/p>\n
In the IQAir data, PM2.5 was the main pollutant with a concentration\nreaching 321 micrograms per cubic metre (\u00b5g\/m\u00b3). PM2.5 consists of very\nsmall pollution particles that can be inhaled deep into the respiratory\ntract. Exposure to high levels of fine particles can increase the risk\nof respiratory problems and affect heart health.<\/p>\n
Data on the IQAir screen also showed that weather conditions in\nPontianak at the time were around 31 degrees Celsius, with wind speeds\nof 8 kilometres per hour and 51 per cent humidity.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hourly forecasts displayed by IQAir showed the AQI\nremained at a very high level, although it was expected to decline\ngradually. At 10.00 WIB, the AQI was forecast to be at 466, then 440 at\n11.00, 413 at 12.00, 385 at 13.00, and 358 at 14.00 WIB.<\/p>\n
Given these conditions, the public is urged to pay closer attention\nto air quality before engaging in outdoor activities. Reducing strenuous\nphysical activity outdoors, especially when air quality is very poor,\ncan help reduce exposure to pollution. The public can also monitor air\nquality developments regularly through available air quality monitoring\nsources. It should be noted that air quality data can change from time\nto time along with changes in weather, wind direction and speed, and the\ncondition of pollution sources.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/parents-in-pontianak-anxious-over-haze-from-forest-fires-hope-schools-are-closed-1787287966", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }