South Kalimantan Forestry Service Assists Flood Mitigation in Forested Areas of North Hulu Sungai

Banjarbaru (ANTARA) - The South Kalimantan Forestry Service (Dishut Kalsel) is assisting the North Hulu Sungai Regency (HSU) government in flood mitigation efforts through the normalisation of rivers passing through forested areas to accelerate water flow rates while maintaining forest preservation.

Head of the Forest Planning and Management Division of Dishut Kalsel, Arifuddin, in Banjarbaru on Monday, stated that the assistance covers administrative processes, facilitating application submissions to the Minister of Forestry, and coordination with the central government to support the flood management programme in HSU.

“Inter-agency synergy is an important step in supporting flood handling in South Kalimantan, particularly in areas requiring the utilisation of forest zones for flood control infrastructure development,” he said.

Arifuddin emphasised that his office is ready to provide assistance, facilitation, and necessary coordination to ensure the activities proceed in accordance with regulations.

Head of the Public Works and Public Housing Office (PUPR) of HSU Regency, Amos Silitonga, stated that the local government plans to normalise the river from the Tabalong River to the basin in the Tampakang area, which passes through forested zones, as an effort to speed up water flow during floods.

He explained that the programme will utilise and widen several existing small rivers, enabling more optimal water flow to the basin area and expected to reduce the impact of flooding in several parts of North Hulu Sungai.

During the audience, the parties also discussed technical aspects and regulations on the use of forest areas to ensure the programme implementation complies with regulations, including permitting mechanisms and cross-agency coordination with the central government.