Government strengthens water sources to accelerate forest fire handling in Banjarbaru
The government is strengthening the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, by preparing the construction of boreholes up to 40 metres deep to overcome limited water sources at fire locations.
Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat in Banjarbaru on Monday directly inspected the forest fire suppression process on Jalan Kurnia Ujung, RT 06/RW 03, Landasan Ulin Utara Subdistrict, Liang Anggang District, and found that water availability was the main obstacle for officers in the field.
Jumhur said strengthening water sources is an important step so that suppression does not stop when the fire appears to be extinguished, but continues by ensuring the land remains wet so that embers do not reignite the fire.
“We are ensuring massive suppression. Community mutual cooperation, the regional government, BNPB, the TNI, the Police must all work together to ensure that this fire is out and after it is out it must be ensured to remain wet,” he stressed.
The government, he said, is preparing a number of boreholes with depths of up to 40 metres in areas that require water source support so that fire engines and officers have closer access to water when carrying out operations.
“So that in the future when forest fires occur, water availability is very sufficient to carry out suppression,” Jumhur explained.
In addition to strengthening fire handling, Jumhur requested that public health protection be part of the forest fire response because smoke exposure can increase the risk of respiratory problems, so the Health Office, community health centres and related elements need to strengthen services for residents.
Meanwhile, Banjarbaru Mayor Erna Lisa Halaby said the city government will optimise boreholes in the Syamsudin Noor area as well as all available hydrants to strengthen water supply for officers, especially as BMKG predicts the peak of the dry season will take place in September.
“To overcome these obstacles, we are working hard to further strengthen coordination and ensure water supply is available. So that officers in the field can work optimally,” Lisa said.
The strengthening of water sources is Banjarbaru’s strategy for dealing with forest fires by not only relying on suppression when the fire grows, but building supporting infrastructure so that response is faster, while ensuring that extinguished land remains wet and the public is protected from the impact of smoke.
After inspecting the fire location, the Environment Minister together with the Mayor of Banjarbaru also handed over assistance to residents affected by forest fires in Landasan Ulin Timur Subdistrict as part of efforts to handle the impact of fires on the community.