South Kalimantan Prepares Safe Houses to Face Threat of Haze
The Social Service of South Kalimantan Province is increasing its preparedness to face the threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) and haze during the peak of the dry season, which is predicted to last from July to September 2026. In addition to establishing a Karhutla Disaster Post, the Social Service is also preparing safe houses for residents affected by forest and land fire disasters and haze.
Head of the Disaster Division at the South Kalimantan Social Service, Ahmadi, revealed on Tuesday (7/7) that his party, together with relevant agencies, has taken strategic steps to face potential drought, forest and land fires, and the impacts of El Niño. "We have coordinated with relevant agencies and districts/cities, ensuring the availability of logistics, and optimising public food barns in disaster-prone areas. This includes the readiness of Tagana personnel and field equipment," he stated.
The South Kalimantan Social Service is also preparing safe houses to anticipate the impacts of haze, similar to events that occurred in 2015 and 2019. "The management of the safe house will later involve the Health Service. The safe house is equipped with adequate facilities capable of accommodating a large number of residents affected by the haze disaster," Ahmadi said.
Ahmadi further explained that based on joint field monitoring with the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), water levels in rivers and other sources in several areas have dropped significantly by up to 1.5 metres due to the dry season. Additionally, peatland conditions in several locations have begun to dry out and crack, increasing the risk of fires.
To support mitigation and handling efforts in the field, the South Kalimantan Social Service has deployed 33 Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana), three water tanker trucks, three fire extinguisher pumps, and a mobile public kitchen that can be activated at any time if a disaster occurs. "We are ready to assist in handling forest and land fires as well as peatland wetting efforts together with BPBD as a precautionary measure," he said.
Head of the South Kalimantan BPBD, Roni Eka Saputra, acknowledged the drying conditions of rivers and water sources (embung) due to the drought. "The condition is quite severe in the Handil Maluka watershed area in Tanah Laut, so we need to be vigilant. Meanwhile, the peatland conditions near Syamsudin Noor Airport still have water, but they will eventually require wetting," he stated.
In a separate statement, General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at Syamsudin Noor International Airport, Stephanus Millyas Wardana, confirmed that to secure airport operations, his team has deployed the full strength of the Airport Firefighters (ARFF). "Regarding airport operations, we are ready. We have a special team called ARFF. We are ready with all our strength," Millyas said.
He added that while forest and land fires are currently minimal and flight operations are still running normally, the airport does not want to be caught off guard, considering the impact of haze on flight visibility.