Syamsudin Noor Airport Permits On-site Ponds to be Used as Water Source for Forest Firefighting

PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (Persero), the operator of Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, has permitted the use of ponds within the airport premises as a water source for officers and volunteers engaged in extinguishing forest and land fires (karhutla).

“Please feel free to draw water from the airport’s ponds if there is a need for water to combat fires within the airport’s ring 1 area,” stated the General Manager of Syamsudin Noor International Airport, Stephanus Millyas Wardana, in Banjarbaru on Sunday.

He explained that the airport possesses two water catchment ponds located in the western and eastern areas. These man-made lakes primarily function to collect rainwater runoff before it is channelled through the city’s drainage system.

During the current prolonged dry season, the water level in the eastern pond has receded, while the western pond still retains a significant amount of water. “One of the ponds in the western area has indeed been prepared for emergency needs,” he clarified.

As a gesture of support for the officers and volunteers struggling to extinguish forest and land fires in the vacant lands around the Guntung Damar and Tegal Arum areas, the airport management is also providing logistical support.

The airport management considers the joint task force and volunteers stationed at the Tegal Arum post to be playing a vital role in suppressing the fires. This is particularly critical as the forest fires occurring within the airport’s ring 1 area have generated haze, which has impacted flight operations.