Babel Police Hold Forest and Land Fire Preparedness Drill

The Bangka Belitung Islands Regional Police (Polda Babel) held a preparedness drill for forest and land fire (karhutla) mitigation on Monday (10/8). Regional Police Chief Inspector General Viktor T. Sihombing stated that the drill was prompted by the increasing incidence of land fires during the current dry season. “Everyone is synergising to handle karhutla in Bangka Belitung,” he said after the troop inspection at the regional police headquarters. He also conveyed that the drill was a follow-up to various preparations made previously. Therefore, vigilance must be maintained despite a recent slight improvement in weather conditions. “This is a continuation of our preparations for the El Niño weather phenomenon, the prolonged drought and heat. Although there has been a slight decrease recently, we need to maintain this readiness,” he said. “If hotspots appear, these are the personnel who will be deployed to extinguish the fires.” He noted that while incidents have increased, there have been no significant fires in the Babel region to date. Nevertheless, alertness must be maintained as weather conditions can change at any time. He reminded the public not to engage in activities that could cause fires, especially clearing land by burning. The Police Chief added that persuasive measures in the form of appeals remain a priority. However, if violations are found, officers will take action and enforce the law effectively. “It is clear that clearing land by burning is prohibited. If anyone violates this, we will remind them and take effective legal action,” he stated. “But the priority is to appeal to the public not to clear land by burning, including burning rubbish. Sometimes burning rubbish can spread if left unattended, and we must prevent that,” he concluded. The troop inspection was led by Bangka Belitung Governor Hidayat Arsani and attended by the Regional Police Chief, members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), and heads of related agencies.