Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said forest and land fires in South and Central Kalimantan can be contained through inter-agency cooperation and weather-modification operations.
“Looking at the hotspots in Central and South Kalimantan, I am optimistic these fires can be put out because support is fully available and all necessary resources can be deployed,” he said Saturday.
The government has prepared response measures ranging from surveillance operations to weather modification, which can begin once atmospheric conditions are suitable for cloud seeding, he said.
Weather modification operations can be conducted in the afternoon if conditions permit. If opportunities arise at night, authorities need only coordinate with airport officials for aircraft to conduct cloud-seeding operations.
Weather modification is vital to accelerating fire suppression, as cloud seeding could help extinguish hotspots, prevent fires from spreading and minimize environmental damage, he said.
Fighting forest and land fires is a shared responsibility requiring support from the government, security forces, volunteers, media and public, Djamari said, stressing the direct impact on human safety.
He urged the public to support firefighting efforts and refrain from obstructing officers working in the field.
Djamari also urged agencies including the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) and Manggala Agni forest-fire brigade to strengthen coordination and accelerate suppression efforts in both provinces.
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Translator: Tumpal Andani, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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