Air quality indices in several areas of Borneo Island have reached 'hazardous' levels as Indonesia is battling dozens of wildfires that have caused tens of thousands of illnesses.
Data from IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality monitoring platform, indicates that air pollution in parts of Central and West Kalimantan provinces on Borneo Island, Indonesia, has reached 'hazardous' levels following dozens of wildfires.
On Monday (31 Aug), Palangkaraya city in Central Kalimantan became the most polluted city in the Indonesian archipelago, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 780 at midday.
Meanwhile, Pontianak city in West Kalimantan ranked second with an AQI of 593. An AQI above 300 is considered hazardous.
Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Deputy Minister of Health, said last week that over 5 million people on Borneo and Sumatra islands are directly affected by toxic haze caused by dozens of wildfires across the vast archipelago.
He added that approximately 13,500 people sought treatment for respiratory infections during July and August.
Indonesia's Antara National News Agency reported that to combat wildfires, the Indonesian military and other government agencies have begun restoring ecosystems and optimizing water resources to rehabilitate areas affected by forest and peat fires in East and North Kalimantan provinces.
"This month, we are restoring natural vegetation by planting trees in burned and degraded areas, including along riverbanks," said Major General Grido Pramono, commander of the 6th Military Regional Command/Mulawarman, last Saturday.
Besides reforestation, Grido added that the government and relevant agencies are working to improve water infrastructure to ensure sufficient water supply. "The wells we drilled provide clean water and also support wildfire prevention and suppression efforts."
Meanwhile, a transport ship of the Japan Self-Defense Forces departed from a port in Hiroshima province on Sunday and is expected to arrive in Indonesia within one to two weeks to assist in wildfire suppression operations. This marks the first overseas wildfire mission by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces under a cooperation agreement between the two countries.
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Source:cna