Dry Ice Cloud Seeding in Palembang Hampered by Haze
South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru inspected preparations for dry-ice cloud seeding under a Weather Modification Operation (OMC), intended to help disperse thick haze caused by forest and land fires, at Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Force Base. The inspection took place as haze again enveloped Palembang on Wednesday (22 October), reducing visibility in several parts of the city.
“This morning is somewhat unusual. The regional military commander and I are here at the air base’s base operations facility to respond to the haze, which has increased very significantly this morning, after we had felt the smoke clearing over the previous three days,” Herman said, as quoted from the South Sumatra provincial government’s Instagram account on Thursday (22 October).
A total of 4.7 tonnes of dry ice provided by the central government was ready at the site. However, the aircraft could not take off to disperse it because the thick haze was affecting visibility.
“We want this dealt with immediately, but visibility is an obstacle. Aviation rules require a certain level of visibility before aircraft can fly,” he added.
Herman said conditions differed from those on the previous day. According to information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the thick haze that morning consisted not only of particles from forest and land fires, but was also mixed with water vapour due to high humidity.
After leaving the air base, Herman chaired a meeting on tackling forest and land fires with the South Sumatra Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) in the VIP room at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang.
The meeting was attended by the commander of Korem 044/Garuda Dempo, Brigadier General Khabib Mahfud; South Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Rony Samtana; the head of the South Sumatra Class I Climatology Station; and other officials, who discussed further response measures.
According to data from the Forestry Ministry’s Sipongi system as of 5am WIB on 22 October 2026, 1,832 hotspots were still detected in South Sumatra. The largest number, 1,007, was in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency, where peatland predominates.