South Sumatra Police Chief Urges Personnel to Collaborate in Preparing for Forest and Land Fires
The South Sumatra (Sumsel) Police Chief, Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, has urged his subordinates to collaborate in preparing for the threat of forest and land fires (Karhutla), as predicted by the BMKG. The ranks of the Sumsel Police are asked to close ranks and maintain a spirit of serving the community.
This was conveyed by Inspector General Sandi while leading the morning assembly as well as the Halal Bihalal event in the yard of the Sumsel Police Headquarters, on Wednesday (25/3/2026). The event was attended by the Deputy Police Chief of Sumsel, Brigadier General Rony Samtana, the Inspector of Professional and Security Affairs, Commissioner Feri Handoko Soenarso, along with all main officials (PJU) and personnel of the Sumsel Police.
Inspector General Sandi expressed pride and appreciation for the tireless dedication of the personnel in maintaining community security during the holy month of Ramadan up to the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. He emphasised that the sense of safety and comfort felt by residents is the result of solid synergy between the National Police (Polri), civil servants (ASN), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), local government, and all elements of society.
“The success of this security operation is a real manifestation of our service. However, the task of protecting the community does not end here. Personnel must continue to monitor traffic flow dynamics until Operation Ketupat officially ends tonight at 24.00 WIB,” said Sandi in his address.
Inspector General Sandi then highlighted the next crucial challenge, namely readiness to face the threat of forest and land fires (Karhutla) based on the latest climate prediction data. This refers to the BMKG’s presentation that the ENSO climate phenomenon is predicted to remain in a Neutral condition until mid-2026.
Although there is no extreme El Niño phenomenon, Inspector General Sandi emphasised the BMKG’s warning that the dry season in Indonesian regions is predicted to arrive 1 to 3 decades earlier, including in several Seasonal Zones (ZOM) in South Sumatra.
In addition, the dry season in 2026 is predicted to be drier compared to conditions in 2025. The peak of the dry season in South Sumatra is predicted to occur from May to August this year.
This drier climate condition arriving earlier triggers vigilance regarding the potential increase in hotspots that can turn into firespots and cause Karhutla in vulnerable areas. In response to this climate warning, the Police Chief emphasised that Karhutla mitigation cannot be done sectorally.
Furthermore, Inspector General Sandi instructed his personnel to immediately build strong synergy with various agencies and actively educate the public not to engage in forest and land burning practices during the dry season. This is considered very important to prevent the adverse impacts of Karhutla on public health and the economy as early as possible.
Finally, Inspector General Sandi also emphasised the evaluation of the 2026 budget absorption in all Work Units (Satker). He advised that every police work programme should not merely become an administrative report on paper, but must be truly realised in the form of tangible benefits that directly touch the lives of the community.
After concluding his speech, the assembly ended with the tradition of handshakes among personnel. This Halal Bihalal moment became a symbol of strengthening internal solidarity in the Sumsel Police, ready to return to the community with a humane, disaster-responsive, and collaborative approach.