Weather Modification Operation in Riau has seeded 26 tonnes of salt into clouds

The Weather Modification Operation in Riau Province has seeded 26 tonnes of NaCl (sodium chloride), or salt, into clouds over the past 21 days to tackle forest and land fires.

Head of the Emergency Division at the Riau Provincial Disaster Management Agency, Jim Gafur, said the weather modification operation, which seeds salt into cumulonimbus clouds, uses a Cessna aircraft. As a result, several areas experiencing drought due to El Niño have been drenched by rain.

“The weather modification operation in Riau has entered its 21st day. Several drought-stricken areas have now received rain,” he said in Pekanbaru on Friday.

“This operation cannot be carried out arbitrarily; it depends on cloud conditions. However, artificial rain continues to be pursued not only to extinguish forest and land fires but also to wet the land so that fire-prone areas can be minimised,” Jim explained.

Efforts to tackle forest and land fires are also being maximised using helicopters. Of the six helicopters on standby in Riau, one is designated for patrol duties, while the rest are used for water bombing.

Aerial firefighting is deployed to support ground teams from various combined agencies who continue to work tirelessly to tame fire hotspots, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, and Manggala Agni.

According to Manggala Agni, land fires in Riau have burned more than 700 hectares in recent days. The largest affected areas are Indragiri Hulu Regency with 434 hectares and Pelalawan with 300 hectares.