South Kalimantan Police Chief Firm: Burning Land of Any Size Will Be Prosecuted

South Kalimantan Police have urged their ranks to take firm action against perpetrators who burn land, no matter how small, without exception. This is in response to any actions that cause forest and land fires (karhutla). “This law enforcement serves as a deterrent effect for anyone who still tries to clear land by burning it,” said the South Kalimantan Police Chief, Inspector General of Police Rosyanto Yudha Hermawan, on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. He emphasised that there should be no room for clearing land by burning for any reason. Therefore, he has instructed officers to patrol agricultural and plantation areas to check for any burned land. Facing the threat of karhutla as the dry season approaches, South Kalimantan Police held a force assembly for disaster preparedness against forest and land fires. The Police Chief checked the readiness of personnel and facilities for tackling karhutla, including at several district police stations under his command. Yudha reminded police personnel to immediately extinguish small fires before they become large. “Establish coordination with relevant agencies, conduct joint patrols in karhutla-prone areas while providing education to the community,” he said. Karhutla incidents in South Kalimantan often occur during the dry season, causing significant impacts from the resulting haze, from health threats to the public to disruptions in flight operations at Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru.