World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Smoke haze disrupts daily life in Palembang for nearly three months
Smoke from forest and land fires has covered Palembang, South Sumatra, for nearly three months.
The haze has disrupted daily life and affected people's health.
A lecturer at UIN Raden Fatah says classes have moved online, but remote learning has not worked well and some activities have been delayed.
A resident who exercises in the morning said the smoke made her eyes sting, her breathing difficult and her throat dry.
Dry ice briefly cleared the haze, but it returned worse, and residents say the effect lasted only a few days.
Residents are calling for a lasting government solution to restore clean, healthy air.
Smoke haze from forest and land fires has covered Palembang for nearly three months, disrupting daily activities and affecting residents’ health.
University lecturer Imam Warmasnyah said classes moved online, but remote learning was not effective and left some matters delayed.
Resident Rasya said the haze disrupted morning exercise and caused sore eyes, shortness of breath and a dry throat.
Rasya said the haze eased for a few days after dry ice was spread, then returned worse.
Residents called for an effective long-term solution to restore clean and healthy air.
- Who
- Palembang residents, including university lecturer Imam Warmasnyah and resident Rasya.
- What
- Smoke haze has disrupted daily life, education and health.
- When
- For nearly three months, as of October 22, 2026.
- Where
- Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.
- Why
- The haze is attributed to forest and land fires.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Smoke haze began covering Palembang, according to the report.
The haze eased for a few days.
Rasya said the haze had returned worse than the previous day.
- Duration
- Nearly three months
- Location
- Palembang, South Sumatra
- Lecturer
- Imam Warmasnyah, UIN Raden Fatah Palembang
- Classes
- Moved online, which Imam said was not effective
- Dry ice
- Haze eased for a few days before returning worse
What people are saying
The haze has been allowed to persist for far too long, and despite various efforts, its duration is disrupting every sector, especially campuses.
We hope the government will genuinely seek an effective solution and avoid trials that only waste time.
I exercise every morning, but this haze is greatly disrupting our activities; my eyes sting, I’m short of breath, and my throat is dry.
It disappeared for a few days after the dry ice was spread, but today it is even worse than yesterday.