Smog blankets C. Kalimantan

Smog blankets C. Kalimantan

MUARA TEWEH, Central Kalimantan: Thick smog believed to be
caused by forest fires has covered the area of Barito Utara
regency here for more than a week.

Antara reported Saturday that smog in the regency town here,
350 kilometers north of capital Palangka Raya, was so thick that
daylight looked like dusk.

Although no accidents had been reported, the town's land and
river transportation has been disrupted due to limited
visibility.

Regency spokesman Syachruddin Noor, however, said residents
were still going about their business and that air transportation
in the regency had so far been unaffected.

Noor said the smog came from forest fires in the neighboring
province of East Kalimantan where thousands of hectares of
forests had been on fire for the last two weeks.

Last year, the town was also hit by thick smog which disrupted
river transportation, which caused some remote villages to suffer
from food shortages, the news agency reported. (aan)