Indonesian Navy Chief: Haze in South Kalimantan not as severe as social media suggests

The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral TNI Muhammad Ali, personally inspected the conditions on the ground amidst forest and land fires in South Kalimantan. Arriving in Banjarbaru on Saturday, August 22, at 3:00 PM Western Indonesian Time, Ali visited areas affected by the haze, including Jalan Tegal Arum in Syamsudin Noor Village, Landasan Ulin District.

“

For Kalsel, especially Banjarmasin, we see for ourselves, it's not too severe.

Following his assessment, Muhammad Ali reported that the haze in the region, particularly in Banjarmasin, was not as severe as widely discussed on social media. He mentioned monitoring viral reports from netizens over the preceding two days but found the on-site conditions to differ from the online portrayals.

Governor of South Kalimantan, Muhidin, shared a similar view after also inspecting areas reportedly suffering from severe haze. He observed that upon arrival, no significant haze enveloped the locations. Muhidin pointed to the absence of firefighting helicopters, which typically operate during severe haze events, as evidence that the situation was not critical.

“

We inspected together and it turned out it wasn't severe. There were no helicopters today. Usually, if it's severe, helicopters are there spraying, this one isn't. That means it's not severe.

Both officials urged the residents of South Kalimantan to continue praying for the haze situation to improve and not worsen. Governor Muhidin expressed hope for a swift reduction in the smoke.

“

Hopefully, the smoke can decrease soon.