9 Days and Still Burning: Officials Hold Joint Prayers for Rain at Jatiwaringin Landfill
Dozens of combined personnel held a joint prayer at the Jatiwaringin landfill (TPA) in Mauk District, Tangerang Regency, Banten, on Wednesday (8 July).
The prayer was offered in the hope that rain would soon fall and help extinguish the remnants of a fire that has continued for nine days without being fully brought under control.
The joint prayer was held in the courtyard of the Jatiwaringin landfill management office, in between firefighting operations.
The spiritual gathering was attended by Tangerang Regent Maesyal Rasyid, Director of Emergency Operations Control Coordination at BNPB Brigadier General TNI Djohan Darmawan, and the officers and volunteers involved in handling the fire.
“On this ninth day, we have offered a joint prayer so that Allah may soon send rain, so that our extinguishing efforts may be complemented by the rainfall,” said Tangerang Regent Maesyal Rasyid on Wednesday afternoon.
Maesyal said the joint prayer was part of efforts beyond the direct firefighting work carried out over the past nine days.
“This is part of our endeavour as believers, and for the community, including the volunteers and officers helping with the extinguishing process, so that they remain in good health and there are no casualties,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the head of the Tangerang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Achmad Taufik, said 30 per cent of the remaining fire points are currently located in the western sector of the Jatiwaringin landfill.
“At present, roughly 30 per cent remains, or around four hectares, that still has fire points,” Taufik said at the site on Wednesday.
According to him, extinguishing operations continue to be carried out by hundreds of combined personnel from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Tangerang Regency BPBD, and the Manggala Agni team from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Taufik explained that operations are being conducted both on the ground and from the air. Firefighters together with Manggala Agni are handling the fire points from the ground, whilst three BNPB water-bombing helicopters continue to douse areas that are difficult to reach.
“The extinguishing scheme and method are largely the same; only the focus of the operation has shifted to the western area,” Taufik said.
The fire at the Jatiwaringin landfill began on Tuesday (30 June). On the ninth day, combined personnel continue extinguishing and cooling operations to ensure all fire points are truly put out.