Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs: Forest Fires in South and Central Kalimantan Under Control Through Collaboration
The Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, General (Ret.) Djamari Chaniago, is optimistic that forest and land fires (karhutla) in South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan are being brought under control through cross-agency collaboration and the readiness of weather modification techniques.
“Looking at the fire hotspots in Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan, I am optimistic that these can be extinguished because all necessary support is available and all resources can be deployed,” he stated during an inspection of fire prevention efforts in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday.
He expressed this optimism after personally observing joint task forces conducting firefighting operations in Central Kalimantan and continuing to the Peramuan Ujung area in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, while ensuring the readiness of personnel and equipment at field posts.
“The government has prepared various handling measures, ranging from reconnaissance operations to weather modification operations, which can be implemented immediately once atmospheric conditions meet the requirements for cloud seeding,” he said.
According to the Minister, weather modification operations can be carried out towards the afternoon if conditions are favourable, whereas if opportunities arise at night, implementation can be coordinated with airport authorities to ensure aircraft can be deployed for cloud seeding missions.
He emphasised that handling forest fires is a shared responsibility requiring support from all parties, including the government, security forces, volunteers, the media, and the public, noting that environmental issues are directly linked to human safety.
Consequently, Djamari urged the public to support firefighting efforts and not to obstruct field officers. He also called upon all agencies, such as the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Disaster Preparedness Volunteers (Tagana), Manggala Agni, security forces, and related institutions, to continue strengthening coordination to ensure that fire management in South and Central Kalimantan remains swift and effective.