After Four Months Surrounded by Smoke from Forest Fires, Dodi Endures with Muddy Water and Persistent Cough

BANJARBARU, KOMPAS.com - Mornings are no longer a blessing for Dodi (58), a resident of Landasan Ulin Tengah in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, who has been surrounded by smoke from forest and land fires (karhutla) for four months.

Speaking to Kompas.com, Dodi shared that around 6:00 AM WITA, the smoke starts to envelop his neighborhood.

The view becomes hazy and the air feels heavy.

"By 6:00 AM, the smoke has arrived. It's hard to breathe, causing coughing and colds," Dodi explained, recounting the condition he has endured for nearly four months as he spoke on Saturday (23/10/2026).

Dodi revealed he just recovered after being ill for about five days.

The fever made his body feel hot, a mix of the heat from the smoke and the illness afflicting him.

"I was sick for five days and just got well. My body feels really hot," he said.

Dodi lives with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

The health issues caused by exposure to smoke from the fires have not only impacted Dodi but his entire family.

The complaints his family experiences include not only coughs and colds but also fevers and diarrhea.

"One of my grandchildren just got out of the hospital, also has a fever. The fever hits hard, with diarrhea, coughing, and colds," he noted.

Amid the declining health of his family, Dodi also faces another pressing issue: the availability of clean water in his area.

"Diarrhea is also due to the drought; the water is murky and dirty," he said.

Dodi reported the clean water issue in his neighborhood to the Syamsudin Noor sub-district office.

However, the assistance he hoped for has not arrived nearly a month after his report.

"I reported to the Syamsudin Noor sub-district; they said, 'Yes, I'll report it to the village head.' That was their response. No clean water assistance has come yet," he added.

Dodi is not making complicated demands from the government.

He simply wants the smoke from the forest fires to end and for help to reach the underprivileged residents quickly.

"I wish the smoke would clear up soon. We need assistance urgently; action is needed. It’s sad for those of us who are less fortunate," he expressed.