Forest and Land Fires Heat Up, Jambi DPRD Urges Increased Public Awareness Campaigns
The Jambi Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) has stressed the need to increase public awareness campaigns, particularly across Jambi Province, so that residents and companies do not burn land indiscriminately.
Deputy Speaker of the Jambi Provincial DPRD, Ivan Wirata, expressed deep concern over forest and land fires in Muaro Jambi Regency. He urged the public to stop clearing land by burning and to comply with existing regulations.
“I firmly urge all companies, without exception, not to burn land carelessly,” he said on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
Ivan noted that the region is currently experiencing a prolonged dry season, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. He said this year’s dry spell is among the most severe on record, surpassing the heat levels seen in 2019, 2020 and 2024, and called for anticipatory measures to tackle forest and land fires.
“All stakeholders must have an integrated plan or roadmap to deal with forest and land fires,” he stressed.
He said Jambi currently has 81 integrated fire posts, 11 of which are funded by the regional budget (APBD), while the remainder are the responsibility of companies operating in fire-prone areas.
“The central National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has prepared three water-bombing helicopters and is monitoring water availability. If I am not mistaken, there are 1,900 hotspots, so we must prevent any burning, and companies are cooperating with the Jambi Forest and Land Fire Task Force (BPTB Jambi),” he explained.
He added that two patrol helicopters are needed to monitor hotspot conditions, along with a weather modification aircraft (OMC) to induce artificial rain. Reports must be submitted within 24 hours in real time, with all 81 posts on standby.
“We also continuously monitor the water level of the Batanghari River. The Sumatera River Basin Agency (BWSS) always provides information on drought levels and the river’s water level,” he said.
During the current dry season, 90 percent of raw water supply depends on the Batanghari River, meaning that partial supplies must be available. In drought-affected areas, the regional water company (PDAM) must prepare clean water for communities lacking raw water sources.
“Yesterday the number of hotspots increased. In Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi Regency, fires broke out again. We are doing our utmost to monitor the situation, but these hotspots are turning into forest and land fires,” he concluded.