Thick smoke from forest and land fires once again blanketed Palembang on Tuesday morning

Haze caused by forest and land fires once again blanketed the city of Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday (20 October) morning.

The thick haze is not only reducing visibility but is also beginning to affect residents’ health.

CNN Indonesia’s observations at a number of locations showed that visibility was limited to just a few metres. A number of motorists were forced to switch on their headlights even though it was still early in the morning.

Residents going about their daily activities outdoors complained of the effects of the haze, ranging from shortness of breath to stinging eyes.

One such person was Diah Gunderi, a civil servant in Palembang. She said the haze this morning was much thicker than the previous day.

“The haze is thick and dense again; I’m short of breath and my eyes are stinging,” Diah told CNN Indonesia on Tuesday.

Previously, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded 44 areas on fire in South Sumatra. The head of the BNPB stated that the majority of the fires were suspected to be caused by land-clearing activities.

The BNPB also noted that air quality in Palembang had briefly reached the ‘very unhealthy’ category, with PM2.5 levels peaking at 215.6 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday (19 October).

Residents are hoping the government will take swift action to tackle the forest and land fires so that the haze does not get any worse.