Three Teams Deployed to Tackle Forest and Land Fires in Tanjung Puting National Park

Three teams have been deployed to tackle forest and land fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan. Efforts are focused on extinguishing the fires and building bore wells to provide water.

The teams have been assigned separate duties: clearing access routes, constructing bore wells and extinguishing the fires. The division of responsibilities is intended to accelerate the response while ensuring that personnel can reach the area and that water is available at the fire sites.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the access-clearing team had managed to open about 1.8 kilometres of track leading to Shelter Pesalat. The route is needed to facilitate the movement of personnel and equipment, as well as the delivery of water to the fire sites.

“We have managed to clear about 1.8 kilometres of track towards Shelter Pesalat, and we have also identified water sources and locations for flexible or portable tanks and bore wells,” he said, according to a written statement on Friday (16 October).

Raja Juli and officials also walked along the newly opened track from Tanjung Harapan to Shelter Pesalat. At the site, he inspected the construction of a reservoir to store water, which will then be sent to the fire sites.

In addition to the reservoir, the team has identified several water sources to be connected to Shelter Pesalat. Portable water tanks and bore wells are also being prepared to support firefighting operations.

As night fell, personnel were still installing water pumps at the site. Raja Juli instructed them to complete the installation that night so the equipment could be used to fight the fires the following day.

“Installation has been divided between two teams. We’re doing it tonight so it can be used straight away tomorrow. We’re staying overnight to make sure it’s installed,” he said.

Raja Juli added that efforts to tackle the fires in Tanjung Puting National Park would continue, making the best use of available resources.

He said the government, together with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), Manggala Agni, local government and other relevant parties, remained at the site working to contain the fires and protect the conservation area.