August 20, 2026 | 06:57 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Smog blanketed some parts of South Kalimantan until Thursday, August 20, 2026, limiting visibility for road users and posing serious health risks for residents.
This can be seen in several videos circulating since Wednesday, where shadow-like vehicles are passing through thick haze, with visibility reportedly less than 10 meters.
In one video, a vehicle passing in front of the camera was even obscured by the haze for a total of seven seconds before it became visible.
Other clips seemingly showed only the faint glow of headlights and taillights cutting through the smog, while the vehicles themselves were indistinct.
"It's getting more and more yellow as the day progresses, and sunlight is barely penetrating," wrote one account, @vier4x4, alongside a video of the haze in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, the account @Indonesiafedera posted about the conditions in South Kalimantan, describing it as "3 Special Features for South Kalimantan Residents." These include foggy mornings likened to Silent Hill, hot afternoons like padang mahsyar (the Islamic Field of Resurrection), and nights rife with power outages that the poster likened to the Islamic underworld (alam barzah).
Others described feeling their throats burning from the thick haze.
According to an Antara report, the haze has recently reached Banjarmasin City via the city's outskirts, while the blaze itself has not. Meanwhile, several areas surrounding Banjarmasin City, such as Banjar Regency, Barito Kuala (Batola), and Tanah Laut (Tala), have been shrouded in haze almost daily.
Haze Expected to Worsen
Raden Rafiq, Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) for South Kalimantan, said visibility amidst the haze on Thursday afternoon was only around 10 meters, sometimes even less. Showing several photos of severe haze conditions in residential areas, Rafiq said, "The haze is getting worse and is predicted to get even worse going forward."
According to him, this situation occurs because the government failed to address the root causes of environmental problems. "So far, the government has only addressed disasters that recur every year. When it rains, floods occur, and when it's dry, it's wildfires," he said.
But these disasters are not caused only by natural factors, but also due to "poor environmental management."
Rafiq highlighted the burden of mining, plantation, and forest utilization business (PBPH) permits in South Kalimantan. According to him, these permits cover more than 51 percent of South Kalimantan's area—not including the illegal mines, of which the extent cannot be determined. "All these permit burdens, including illegal ones, have exceeded the environmental carrying capacity and capacity. So it's natural that disasters continue to recur."
Rafiq emphasized that the government should evaluate all permits that have been issued and impose stringent punishment against companies that violate them. He also urged the government to revoke the permits of problematic companies and stop issuing new permits. He emphasized that regional revenue (PAD) is not commensurate with the losses suffered by the community due to the exploitation of natural resources. "This is a constant concern for us as civil society."
He also believed that the government policies adopted over the past five years have not provided sufficient protection for the environment and communities. In fact, according to Rafiq, several policies have actually made it easier for businesses to continue exploiting natural resources.
As of the writing of this article, Tempo is still awaiting a response from the South Kalimantan Environmental Agency and Forestry Agency.
Read: Singapore Think Tank Warns of Severe Haze Risk in Southeast Asia
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