"The emergency status has been declared for the period from Sept 16 to Sept 30 in line with the city mayor's instruction no.188.45/435/2019," Supriyanto revealed.
With the issuance of the emergency status, the city government will set up 12 oxygen chambers at several locations.
"We focus on delivering health treatments and services to the people affected by haze and wildfires," he stated.
Apart from the declaration of emergency status, the government had also closed schools on Sept 16-18 in order to safeguard the health of students.
Wildfires had raged in Central Kalimantan and some nearby provinces, including East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan, during the past weeks owing to the slash-and-burn practice and protracted dry season.
Despite the thick smoke that had lowered visibility in the city, slash-and-burn practices continued unabated in some vacant lands.
Consequently, flames continued to conflagrate lands in the Palangka Raya City whose fire-prone peatlands contain 85 percent of its soil.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Rendhik Andhika/Genta Tenri Ma
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
