Rain fails to dissipate haze in Palangkaraya
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite heavy downpours of rain over the last few days, thick haze from out-of-control forest fires is still blanketing Palangkaraya town and many parts of Central Kalimantan, forcing airline companies to indefinitely suspend flights to and from the provincial capital.
Meanwhile, in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, motorcyclists have started wearing masks due to the thick haze.
The South Kalimantan Health Office has also distributed a total of 10,000 masks to 10 regencies in the province and urged local residents to wear them if they are heading outdoors.
The haze, which has been plaguing Kalimantan for more than two months now, has caused a health crisis in Central Kalimantan, with the number of people suffering from respiratory problems rising rapidly.
Data provided by the Doris Sylvanus Palangkaraya Public Hospital showed that the number of people suffering from respiratory problems had increased to 113 in August from 84 in July.
The hospital's director, Dr. Arnold Singarimbun, told Antara on Wednesday that three persons, including two children, had died of pneumonia since July.
The haze has also forced airline company PT Merpati Nusantara to indefinitely suspend its flights to and from Palangkaraya since Aug. 26.
Thick smog also covered Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, reducing visibility to less than 500 meters on Tuesday.
The poor visibility prompted airline companies to either delay or cancel flights to and from Banjarmasin's Syamsuddin Noor Airport.
Mandala Airlines' Banjarmasin District Manager R. Wahyu Budiadi told Antara that all flights to and from Syamsuddin Noor Airport had proceeded as scheduled on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Mandala had to delay a flight from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin due to poor visibility.
"Since the visibility was just 500 meters, (we) decided to delay the flight until it reached at least 1,000 meters," said Wahyu, denying speculation that technical problems had forced the company to delay the flight.