Andika Pratama, Effendi Rusli, Pekanbaru – Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected 2,610 hotspots across Sumatra as of Sunday morning, as haze from forest and land fires worsened air quality and disrupted daily activities in several areas.
The hotspots were spread across 10 provinces, with South Sumatra recording the highest number at 1,311, according to Elisa Kedang, a researcher at BMKG's Pekanbaru station in Riau.
"Other regions with high numbers include Riau with 355 hotspots, Jambi with 278, Bangka Belitung with 268, Lampung with 187, Aceh with 67, the Riau Islands with 55, North Sumatra with 45, West Sumatra with 27, and Bengkulu with 17," Elisa said.
Visibility in Pekanbaru was reduced by smoky conditions on Saturday night, while air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels in the early hours and on Sunday morning.
According to local authorities, land fires in Riau have burned more than 700 hectares of forest and plantation areas in Indragiri Hulu and Pelalawan regencies over the past several days.
In Kampar Regency, residents complained of thick haze and a strong odor from peatland fires.
Dedi Iskandar, a resident of Kubang Raya Street in Kualu village, said haze had blanketed the area for the past three days.
He said he had been wearing a mask to reduce his exposure to the smoke but had begun experiencing shortness of breath amid the poor air quality.
"I've started having difficulty breathing. We really can't work because the smoke is too thick," Dedi said on Sunday.
He urged the government and relevant authorities to extinguish fires across all affected areas as soon as possible, saying the worsening haze was increasingly disrupting residents' daily activities and work.
Haze from forest and land fires has also affected Palembang, South Sumatra, making the air increasingly uncomfortable to breathe and disrupting activities in parts of the city.
One affected area is Sematang Borang Street in Sako district, where haze was seen blanketing roads and residential neighborhoods on Sunday morning.
The smoke has not only reduced visibility but also caused breathing discomfort, prompting some residents to limit outdoor activities.
"The haze is very thick today. The air is really affecting our breathing, so unless there's something important to do, it's better to stay at home," resident Mezza Rahayu said.
"You can really feel the smoke. As soon as you step outside, the air you breathe immediately feels uncomfortable," she added.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/more-than-2600-hotspots-detected-across-sumatra-as-haze-worsen