The haze covering the sky in Padang City, West Sumatra, on Saturday morning, October 7, 2023, is getting thicker.

Head of the Global Atmospheric Monitoring Station (GAW) in Kototabang, West Sumatra, Sugeng Nugroho in Padang, said that as of Thursday, October 5, there were at least 1,001 hotspots due to forest and land fires in the Sumatra region.

The most hotspots are in South Sumatra Province, with 733 hotspots.

From the results of monitoring by his party, air quality is generally in the medium category, with the particular meteor level parameter (PM2.5) at 91 micrometers.

SOT: Sugeng Nugroho - Head of GAW Kototabang Station
TC: 02.25 - 03.01

"The trigger, if you look at the measurement results, is that there are more fine particles; this looks like dust from afar because if it is coarse, it is near where it fell, but this is visible from afar. So it is possible that from far away it is from what area we can see from the trajectory if we mention it or its origin. "From where, if you look at the trajectory at an altitude of 500 to 1000 meters above ground level, from the southeast of West Sumatra, southeast of West Sumatra, where is South Sumatra, Jambi?"

The increasingly deteriorating air quality has prompted the Padang City Government to take immediate steps to anticipate a spike in cases of acute respiratory tract infections.

Through the Padang City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), 3,500 masks were distributed to people who were forced to carry out outdoor activities, such as in markets, on roads, and to schoolchildren.

SOT: Robet Candra - Secretary of Padang City BPBD
TC: 04.42 - 05.12

"At the moment, there is still a threat from this haze; that's why we are taking action so that the community can be protected before the disaster occurs. This is an anticipatory step, and this is in accordance with the circular letter from the mayor through the health service. This is an anticipatory step so that it does not become a disease, because if it becomes a disease, it can become an epidemic, and if it becomes an epidemic, new disasters will emerge."

Even though the air conditions are getting worse, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, it was seen that community activities in the center of the provincial capital were continuing as usual.

In fact, many people who do activities do not wear masks, as recommended by the local government to avoid a spike in cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Padang City.