Hulu Sungai Selatan Government and Astra Agro Hold Forest Fire Preparedness Drill
The Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency Government, together with the private sector, has held a Forest and Land Fire (Karhutla) Preparedness Drill in Kandangan. The event, which took place at Lambung Mangkurat Field, involved the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), government agencies, businesses, volunteers, and community members. Astra Agro’s South Kalimantan area, through its subsidiary PT Subur Agro Makmur (PT SAM), co-hosted and provided technical support for the activity as part of a collaborative effort to tackle forest and land fires in the region.
Hulu Sungai Selatan Regent Syafrudin Noor emphasised that weather information and forecasts from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) must be a shared concern, particularly regarding hot and dry conditions that can increase the risk of fires. ‘This preparedness drill is not merely a ceremonial activity, but a concrete step to ensure we are ready to face the risk of forest and land fires,’ he stated. He highlighted that the main strength in dealing with fires lies in synergy, coordination, and cooperation among all stakeholders.
The activity followed a coordination meeting on fire preparedness and the declaration of an emergency alert status for forest and land fires and drought in Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency for 2026. The drill served as a momentum to ensure the readiness of personnel, equipment, communication systems, and field coordination before the dry season. Rasid, Operations Director of Astra Agro’s South Kalimantan area, said the company’s involvement reflects its commitment to prioritising prevention. He noted that preparedness must not stop at ceremonies, stressing the importance of ensuring all systems work effectively in the field, including monitoring vulnerable areas, patrols, water source readiness, and rapid coordination with the government and the community. Rasid added that environmental protection cannot be limited to a company’s operational areas, as fire risk is a landscape-level issue requiring integrated communication and response. Astra Agro implements a strict no-burning policy in its operations and strengthens prevention through equipment checks, patrols, hotspot monitoring, emergency team readiness, and fire simulations. In Hulu Sungai Selatan, the company has also utilised drone technology to monitor potential fire spots, map vulnerable areas, and identify access roads and nearby water sources to enable faster and more precise responses.