REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said the main challenge of prevention of forest fires and smog in Sumatra and Kalimantan was El Nino. He stated, El Nino this year was more severe than in 1997 and 1998.

"The level of fire was really bad. There was wind and the fires rise again, because it was peat land," said Luhut, in his office, Monday (12/10).

Land and forest fires still hit parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan. National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) predicted that there were about 40 million people affected by smog due to forest fires.

Residents who were affected, were not only those who lived near the fire locations, but also citizens of neighboring country, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

On Monday (12/10), hotspots have started to decline although there were still many hotspots that have not been extinguished because it was still difficult to reach.

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