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Haze crisis intensifies, disrupts health, Idul Adha celebrations
Haze and prayers: Thousands of people say Idul Adha prayers on the Arthanud Baterai grounds in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday, despite the whole area being covered by thick haze emanating from forest fires
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Haze and prayers: Thousands of people say Idul Adha prayers on the Arthanud Baterai grounds in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday, despite the whole area being covered by thick haze emanating from forest fires. Many people used masks during the prayers to avoid inhaling smoke.(JP/Rizal Harahap) (JP/Rizal Harahap)
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span class="caption">Haze and prayers: Thousands of people say Idul Adha prayers on the Arthanud Baterai grounds in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday, despite the whole area being covered by thick haze emanating from forest fires. Many people used masks during the prayers to avoid inhaling smoke.(JP/Rizal Harahap)
Smoke produced by land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan has continued to intensify over the past few days, severely threatening the health of local residents and disrupting celebrations of the Islamic Idul Adha holiday.
In Central Kalimantan, the Palangkaraya municipal administration declared on Wednesday an emergency status after smoke that has blanketed the provincial capital over the past several weeks brought air pollution to a hazardous level.
The level of particulate matter (PM10) in the city was measured at above 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) on Wednesday, more than twice the minimum level of the 'dangerous' category of air pollution.
According to the government's existing guidelines, air quality is considered 'healthy' if its PM10 level stands below 50 µg/m³ and 'dangerous' when it surpasses 420 µg/m³.
'The emergency status for haze [in the city] is effective from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3,' Palangkaraya Disaster Mitigation and Fire Agency's disaster unit head Satriadi said on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.
The Central Kalimantan Health Agency earlier reported that at least 27,000 local residents had suffered acute respiratory infections (ISPA) from July to September and has declared the situation an extraordinary occurrence.
The haze crisis also disrupted the celebration of the Islamic Day of Sacrifice on Thursday morning, with thousands of Muslim residents forced to perform the Idul Adha mass prayers in outdoor or semi-outdoor locations shrouded by smoke.
'We need to pray to God to end the disaster that has hit our land,' acting Central Kalimantan Governor Hadi Prabowo said after attending mass prayers at Darussalam Mosque in Palangkaraya.
Central Kalimantan, along with West Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra, are among the provinces hardest hit by the air pollution originating from fires in peatland and plantations.
In Pekanbaru, Riau, thick smoke also blanketed hundreds of Idul Adha prayer locations across the city, forcing most worshippers to don masks. 'We get used to it. What else can we do?' Ridwan Fauzi, a local Muslim resident, told The Jakarta Post.
Meanwhile in Batam, Riau Islands, two commercial aircraft heading to Hang Nadim International Airport had to be diverted on Thursday to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, because of poor visibility.
The ongoing haze crisis has been exacerbated by this year's prolonged dry season triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
North Sulawesi Forestry Agency head Herry Rotinsulu said that fires, triggered by both human error and natural factors, had razed 2,140 hectares of forest in the province.
During his visit to the location of peatland fires in Pulang Pisau regency, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo ordered the digging of canals around the peatland to prevent fires from reoccurring.
'I stood still for five minutes there and the fires got bigger. Canals are key. We need immediate and massive canalization,' the President said.
In response to the worsening fires, Jokowi decided to cancel his trip to North Sumatra on Thursday; he had been scheduled to oversee the relocation of Mount Sinabung eruption victims.
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Eva Aruperes in Manado and Apriadi Gunawan in Medan contributed to this article
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