BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Head of the South Kalimantan Forest Agency Rakhmadi Kurdi said based on data land and forest fires in here has now reached 575 hectares, Antaranews reported.
According to Rakhmadi in Banjarmasin, on Wednesday, the number of fires in the forest area 275 hectares, including 50 hectares of forest fire broke out in the Public Forest Park Sultan Adam, and the other 300 hectares are outside the forest area.
“But the number is still much smaller than the fire point and land and forest fires in Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan,” he said.
Thus, Rakhmadi predict, fairly thick smog that occur in some areas in recent weeks, such as in Subdistrictof Gambut, Landasan Ulin, Syamsudin Noor Airport area, and partly in Barito Kuala, not entirely caused by land and forest fires in the province.
According to Rakhmadi, did not rule out that smog is from neighboring provinces, both of Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan.
About alleged arson of land by company, Rahmadi said, to date it has not received reports from the public and aware directly. All incidents triggered forest fires were by unscrupulous people who do land clearing and partly accidental.
Earlier, the Chief South Kalimantan Health Agency, Rusdiansyah, said it shared with Environmental Health Technology Center (BTKL) take measurements of air quality in some areas.
Until now there were more than 21,000 residents caught by ISPA. This figure is almost double the number of patients with respiratory infection throughout 2013.
Currently South Kalimantan provincial government has established an emergency alert status of forest fire and haze.