Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Haze that has blanketed the sky of Pekanbaru, Riau province`s capital city, over the past three days has thickened on Monday morning, local residents said.

Febri, 35, said he felt the thickening haze since Monday morning and was afraid of its hazardous affects.

The smog, he said, had not only reduced visibility but also may cause common ailments of the respiratory system.

"I always feel sick every time the thick smog comes," Febri said.

Meanwhile, Head of Pekanbaru city`s air quality laboratory, Syahrial, said the quality of the air had dropped over the past four days.

"The quality of air is rapidly reducing over the past four days," he said.

The thick haze has also hit other parts of Riau province since the end of March.

That lowering quality of the air had even been complained by a number of people in Dumai, a seaport town in Riau province, on March 31.

Rahma, a merchant in Dumai town, for instance, had asked the local authorities to provide masks for the residents to protect them from the haze`s hazardous effects.

"The smoke gets thicker at night. Who is supposed to be responsible for this?" said the 41-year-old woman.

The related authorities need to distribute masks because the thick smoke could affect the people`s health and daily activities, she said.

A motorist,Razak, said the thick haze had even affected visibility and caused breathing difficulties.

The thick haze was caused by fire and the people`s palm plantations in the town.

In October 2010, thick haze of the forest and bush fires in various parts of Sumatra Island blanketed the sky of Batam Island in Riau Islands province.

The coming haze affected Singapore, a tiny city state which shares sea border with the Indonesian island of Batam.

In 1997, Riau and many other provinces in Sumatra island were hit by thick smog, caused by forest fires and slash-and-burn method of clearing land for farming and plantations.

As a result, many airports in Sumatra as well as in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore had been temporarily closed. People had to wear masks if they wanted to go out outside their homes or offices.
(Uu.R013/H-NG/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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