BNPB Prioritises Ground Task Force to Control Forest and Land Fires

The Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto, stated that the agency is currently prioritising Ground Task Forces in efforts to control forest and land fires (karhutla) in several provinces.

“During the remainder of this prolonged dry season, we have agreed that fire suppression will be the battlefield for the Ground Task Force,” he said in Banjarbaru on Thursday.

All joint elements have been deployed to their maximum capacity, including the TNI-Polri (Military and Police), BNPB, BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency), Manggalai Agni, Fire Care Communities, and community volunteers.

Speaking before Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during a coordination meeting at the Forest and Land Fire Monitoring Post in Guntung Damar, Banjarbaru, Suharyanto admitted that aerial operations using water-bombing helicopters are quite difficult given the limited capacity for water spraying.

Suharyanto also reported that current national data shows burnt land has reached 1,320 hectares, with West Kalimantan recording the largest area of forest fires. This is followed by Riau, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Jambi.

“Compared to the impact of El Nino in 2023, which saw 600,000 hectares affected, this year is indeed smaller at 72,000 hectares,” he added.