Bali's active Mount Agung volcano seems relatively calm today but authorities are still encouraging residents and travelers to be cautious around the Indonesian island. But for some residents living in the danger zone, life is as per normal. Our reporter Silkina Ahluwalia spoke to residents who refuse to evacuate.

Kardi lives just three kilometers from Mount Agung in this small village of Nawakerti. For the past few months, Bali's highest volcano has been increasingly active causing hundreds of tremors and releasing thick smoke every day. Authorities have put up an exclusion zone extending 10km from the top of the crater, but Kardi refuses to leave his village.

KARDI YASA RESIDENT "I still continue with my normal routine here everyday. I need to work. But at night I move to my grandfather's house. It is still considered the danger zone but at least I move a bit further away from the volcano."

Kardi is just one out of four thousand three hundred residents that live in this area considered as the red zone.

SILKINA AHLUWALIA KARANGASEM REGENCY, INDONESIA The last time Mount Agung erupted in 1963, nearly 2,000 people died but this area was not heavily affected. That's part of the reason why 90 percent of the residents living here today are not willing to evacuate because they believe if an explosion were to happen, their families and homes would be safe.

For the people of Nawakerti, staying alongside their families and jobs remains the most important priority. Wayan Putu is the head of the village. He says residents are free to evacuate independently and at their own will.

WAYAN PUTU HEAD OF NAWAKERTI VILLAGE In 1963, this village was only covered in volcanic ash. It wasn't anything serious. We had an emergency alert to evacuate a few days ago but out of 4,000 residents, only around 200 of them evacuated. It's fine, we do not want to forcefully evacuate anybody.

The National Disaster Mitigation agency has evacuated 100,000 people from 22 villages in total and set up evacuation camps in 220 different locations across Bali. That number is expected to increase depending on Mount Agung's activity. The volcano's alert level remains at a level 4 which is the highest possible level. Authorities have recorded an over-scale of tremors in the past weeks proving that Mount Agung is not calming down anytime soon. Silkina Ahluwalia, CGTN, Bali.