InfoSAWIT, PALEMBANG – Recently the fire in forests and areas was the main topic in many regions in South Sumatera Province that might happen because companies’ operational that dried some areas to make big scale canals. This made areas dry faster and vulnerably to be in flame namely when dry season takes place like nowadays.

Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) South Sumatera analysis through satellite image mentioned there were 370 hotspots in August that had something to do with corporates’ permit. Of the numbers, 196 hotspots were in industrial plantation forest concession permits, and 174 hotspots in palm oil plantation concession permits.

The people really get disturbed by the ecologic impacts from the fire in the past several days. Data from Air Pollution Standard Index (IQ Air) showed that air quality in Palembang (the capital city of South Sumatera) is not healthy. Air concentration PM 2,5 in Palembang reached 18,2 times from annual air quality that World Health Organization (WHO) suggested.

“The people really get ecologic impacts of the fire in the past several days. Air pollution ‘seized’ the people’s right (to breathe) in South Sumatera Province to get healthy and good air,” Walhi South Sumatera said, as InfoSAWIT in Walhi official page, Sunday (10/9/2023).

Meanwhile data of acute respiratory infection from South Sumatera Health Agency in June and July 2023 showed that 79.400 men were having acute infection respiratory.

The fire crisis in the province is ecological issue and also health issue. The government needs to get action effectively and fast to solve the fire, protect the environment, and maintain the people’s health. It needs to escalate the people’s awareness to conserve environment and prevent the fire in the future. (T2)