PONTIANAK (Indonesia): Wildfires raging across the Indonesian part of Borneo are choking communities with thick haze, with the pollution spreading as far as Malaysia.
Blamed partly on one of the strongest El Nino-induced droughts in decades, the disaster is threatening access to clean air, water and even education.
Here is the situation through the eyes of three community leaders in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, one of the worst-hit regions:
The teacher
Syarifah Hatifah, vice-principal of a junior high school in Pontianak, fears some of her nearly 600 pupils are falling behind after schools were closed because of the haze.
The closure, now in its third week, is the longest she has experienced in her 30-year career. Hundreds of schools in West Kalimantan have shut, affecting about 200,000 pupils.
While online lessons continue, some students lack stable internet access, computers or fully charged phones. Teachers still report to school daily to conduct online classes.
Syarifah said the school would provide free extra lessons once classes resume.
The health official
Iwansyah, head of the Kubu Raya regency health agency, oversees healthcare for about 700,000 people across 123 villages.
His staff are working to prevent illnesses caused by prolonged exposure to unhealthy air. More than 1,400 people have been treated or hospitalised for acute respiratory infections so far this month, following 6,396 cases in August.
The agency distributes about 1,000 masks daily, but supplies are running low. It has requested more masks from the provincial government.
Health officials are also monitoring diarrhoea cases linked to reduced access to clean water caused by the drought. There have been 225 cases this month.
With little relief expected soon, Iwansyah said health authorities were increasing stocks of medicines and equipment while monitoring air and water quality.
The hamlet head
For Yonas, deputy head of Lintang Batang hamlet outside Pontianak, the main concern is having enough firefighting equipment.
Residents have pooled money to buy water pumps, hoses and other equipment to battle peatland fires. However, supplies remain inadequate.
Volunteer firefighters often rely on whatever is available, including buckets. They also need food, protective equipment and masks.
Yonas said the smoke posed serious risks, especially to children, pregnant women, the elderly and asthma sufferers.
Scientific observations have shown that the haze contains dangerous levels of fine particle pollution, far exceeding World Health Organization safety guidelines.
“It’s very hazardous to the health of us who live in this village,” Yonas said.- AFP
