Natuna Forest and Land Fire Handling Team Divided into Several Regions
Natuna (ANTARA) - The Forest and Land Fire Handling Team (Karhutla) in Natuna Regency, Riau Islands Province, has been divided into several work areas to facilitate the management of drought disasters and karhutla in the border region.
The Acting Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Natuna Regency, Raja Darmika, confirmed from Bintan on Monday that the division of work areas is focused on land-based handling. The aim is to ensure the fire extinguishing process runs more effectively, quickly, and efficiently.
The division covers East Bunguran Sub-district, Northeast Bunguran Sub-district, North Bunguran Sub-district, Central Bunguran Sub-district, and South Bunguran Sub-district. In each area, personnel have been assigned along with the duties and functions of the involved agencies, from local government apparatus to vertical institutions such as TNI and Polri.
Previously, through the Regent’s Decree on the Emergency Alert Command Post issued on 2 April 2026, the local government had also established an emergency alert post.
The decree outlines the command structure along with the duties and functions of each position. The directing roles are filled by several local leaders, while the post commander is held by the Secretary of Natuna Regency.
“There is a division of areas for land-based extinguishing. There are field posts in Batubi, Northeast Bunguran, Tekuk Buton, Central Bunguran, and South Bunguran,” she said.
“Currently, there are still fire or smoke points in the Sedarat Baru–Seminter area,” she added.
Handling karhutla in Natuna requires collaboration from various parties, from vertical agencies, local government, provincial government, central government, to the community.
Coordination with vertical agencies in Natuna, she continued, has been running well, both in deploying personnel and equipment.
Meanwhile, the central government through the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is also providing support, including deploying aircraft and helicopters for aerial handling via water bombing or air bombs, weather modification, and monitoring fire points from the air.
She hopes the karhutla can be resolved soon and urges the public to participate in mitigation efforts.