Haze Forces North Sumatra Schools to Switch to Online Learning as Air Quality Worsens in Batam
Severe haze from forest fires has prompted North Sumatra to order distance learning for all schools, while Batam records unhealthy air quality and sharply reduced visibility.
Forest and land fires on Sumatra have generated a haze that now blankets the entire North Sumatra province, leading Governor Bobby Nasution to mandate distance learning for all educational levels beginning Friday. Meanwhile, Batam Island is experiencing unhealthy air quality, with BMKG reporting that visibility at Hang Nadim International Airport has dropped to just 1.4-1.9 km and to merely 50-100 m in the Batam Center area, while open water visibility reaches about 400 m. The dense haze also blocks the usual sight of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands from Batam’s coastal zones.
BMKG’s Suratman, head of the Hang Nadim Meteorology Station, warned the public—particularly children and seniors—to stay indoors and use face masks to protect respiratory health. In response to the fires, a rain-making plane has been redeployed to Lampung to help extinguish blazes in Riau province.
Why it matters
The haze threatens public health and disrupts education for thousands of students in North Sumatra.
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