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Haze returns to Sumatra after three weeks of fresh air
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An aerial view of Palembang on Oct. 14. The South Sumatran capital was covered by smog caused by lingering forest fires in the surrounding areas. (Antara /Nathan)
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fter just three weeks of breathing smog-free air, residents of Sumatra once again have to stick it out as pollution from forest and peatland fires hit several regions of the island on Monday.
The haze has forced local administrations to close schools and cancel flights because of health concerns and low visibility. Authorities are working to extinguish wildfires in several provinces, including through cloud-seeding operations to make it rain.
One of the affected regions is South Sumatra, which is suffering from the most extreme haze throughout this year’s dry season, according to the local office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
The sky over Palembang was dark yellow on Sunday morning as haze in the provincial capital had reduced visibility to around 50 meters. This marks a change from the previous haze wave in September, when the smog only thickened between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
An official with the Palembang BMKG office, Bambang Beny Setiaji, said the haze originated from fires southeast of Palembang. According to the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), 786 hotspots were detected in South Sumatra on Monday, most of which were located in the regency of Ogan Komering Ilir.
Residents are concerned the smog will affect their health. The Palembang Education Agency has instructed kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools across the city to send students home on Monday for an indefinite period. The haze has forced authorities to delay seven takeoffs from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport.
Read also: Govt grapples with fires as disruption worsens
