Haze blankets Palembang, Samarinda

Haze blankets Palembang, Samarinda

Muhammad Uzair and Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Palembang/Samarinda

Haze blanketed on Thursday the cities of Palembang and Samarinda
on Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, respectively, causing
respiratory and eye problems.

In Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province, numerous
residents experienced asthma-like symptoms and breathing
difficulties because of the haze.

Muryati, 49, a resident of Plaju, Palembang, said she was
forced to skip her morning exercise as a result of the smoke.

"I had to stay at home and skip my exercise because the air
outside was choking," she said.

Pepeng, 26, a street vendor at Pasar 16 Ilir market, also
complained about the smoke, which he said had caused his asthma
to flare up.

"I can't stand to stay outside for long periods of time," he
said.

Satellite data received by the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II
Meteorology and Geophysical Agency in Palembang on Thursday,
showed the source of the haze blanketing Palembang was the area
of Ogan Komering Ilir, Palembang's neighboring regency, where 419
hot spots were detected.

Agency head Suyatim said the haze began to appear on Thursday
morning.

The hot spots were probably caused by people negligently
tossing aside cigarette butts or the intentional setting of fires
to clear land, he said.

Palembang Mayor Edy Santana Putra expressed concern over the
situation and told residents to avoid going outdoors as much as
possible.

The South Sumatra Public Health Office is coordinating with
health centers in Palembang to provide masks for residents.

In Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan province, the
local authorities are blaming forest fires in Central Kalimantan
and South Kalimantan for the thick haze shrouding the city.

Kusnadi Katam, chief of Land and Forest Fire Management Office
in the East Kalimantan provincial administration, said forest
fires in the two provinces would continue to burn unless some
rain fell.

"People should obtain masks in order to avoid breathing in
hazardous materials from haze," said Kusnadi.

He said the haze problem in the province over the past few
months had resulted in an increase in the number of people
suffering from respiratory-related diseases.

In Pasir regency, near Samarinda, for example, the number of
people reporting respiratory-related diseases was 507 in July,
rising to 1,588 in August.