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PALEMBANG, Indonesia: For hours, Kholidi pedals his rickshaw through the hazy streets of Palembang in search of passengers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The schools where the 60-year-old usually finds fares are closed. The normally bustling markets where he waits for customers are quiet.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t bring home a single rupiah yesterday and it looks like today will be the same,\u201d said Kholidi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For weeks, forests, bushes and dried-up peatlands across Indonesia have been burning, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan.<\/span><\/p>\n As of Sep 16, there were 5,983 hotspots in Sumatra, of which 4,169 were in South Sumatra, according to the Indonesian Forestry Ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n The fires have sent hazardous smoke thousands of kilometres across the region into neighbouring countries including Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n In Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has hovered between 150 and 275 since mid-August.<\/span><\/p>\n Under Indonesia\u2019s air quality classification, readings of 151 to 200 are considered \u201cunhealthy\u201d, while 201 to 300 are classified as \u201cvery unhealthy\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n