Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for optimal, coordinated measures to combat forest and land fires as drought and El Niño heighten wildfire risks nationwide.
Speaking at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stressed that the president had noted the urgency of curbing wildfires across the archipelago.
“As we face a period of El Niño, Indonesia battles forest and land fires in many regions. Significant numbers of hot spots remain in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan,” he said.
Hadi cited blazes in East Java’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park as among the largest, assuring the public that firefighting efforts would continue with the involvement of the Forestry Ministry, the East Java provincial government, the military, and the police.
He said the government is making every effort to extinguish and contain the fires to prevent them from spreading to other areas.
In addition to ground operations, the government has tasked the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) with preparing weather modification operations.
The minister noted that the feasibility of such operations varies by region, depending on atmospheric conditions.
In the meantime, the government has readied helicopters and aircraft to conduct water bombing in affected areas.
“Everything is being monitored. As instructed by Mr. President last night, we have coordinated the deployment of equipment for water bombing, including helicopters and aircraft, to help extinguish wildfires,” Hadi said.
BMKG has observed that intensified impacts from El Niño during the dry season have heightened risks of drought and wildfires in multiple regions nationwide.
In response, the government urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid activities that could trigger fires throughout the dry season.
Separately on Monday, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago reported that the government had deployed 43 helicopters and readied over 10 aircraft to tackle wildfires that have burned 107,000 hectares nationwide.
He added that authorities had also mobilized water tanks to support ground firefighting operations.
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Translator: A. Ramadhan, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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