REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Thick haze arising from forest and land fires has failed to deter thousands of Muslims from flocking to soccer fields and mosques here to perform the Eid al-Adha prayers on Thursday morning.

However, several of them were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from the pollution while performing their Eid al-Adha prayers amid the thickening haze.

According to the Pekanbaru-based Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, the haze had reduced visibility to 200 meters at 7 a.m. local time.

Imelda Yusra admitted to being surprised at seeing the return of the thick haze that was shrouding Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau Province, on Thursday morning.

"I thought that the haze would have gone this morning. Instead, it has returned and looks thicker," stated the 24-year-old lady who joined the Eid al-Adha prayers.

In this situation, several parents have urged their children to stay indoors to prevent direct exposure to the haze.

In response to the continuing haze disaster, President Joko Widodo stated that Indonesia has been working hard to extinguish the forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands by conducting water bombings and cloud seeding operations.

Speaking in South Kalimantan Province on Thursday, he also called on the people in Martapura, the capital city of Banjar District, to stop setting fires to clear land.

The slash-and-burn land clearing practices should be stopped not only in the yards of houses but also in plantation companies' concession areas and roadsides, he noted.

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