Haze From Forest Fires Envelops Penajam, E Kalimantan

Samarinda, E Kalimantan, Oct 7 (Antara) -The haze arising from forest and plantation fires has shrouded North Penajam Paser district, East Kalimantan province, over the past few days. "Every day, I patrol to monitor the hotspots in Penajam sub-district. I found tens of hotspots of fires deliberately set by the local people for land clearance in Bukit Subur, Riko, and Sotek villages," Penajam Sub-district Head Sardi stated here on Monday. Hundreds of hectares of forest area were ravaged by the fires in Penajam. In most cases, the fires were deliberately lit by the local farmers. He called on the fire fighters to put in greater efforts to extinguish the forest fires in the sub-district. At least six provinces on the Sumatra and Kalimantan islands have been hit by forest, plantation, and peatland fires, producing haze that has triggered respiratory problems among the local residents. For instance, the people in South Kalimantan complained of the strong odor of the haze that was affecting their breathing and vision. "When we wake up in the morning, we can smell the smoke inside our house. A thin haze enters the house when we open our doors and windows," Wita, a housewife in Banjarbaru, stated on Thursday (Oct. 2). She added that the smoky haze had taken a toll on the health of the public in Banjarbaru and had also reduced the visibility to just 50 or 100 meters.