West Kalimantan Police warn of smoke hazard for water transport users on Kapuas River

The Water and Air Police Directorate of the West Kalimantan Regional Police has urged users of the Kapuas River to increase their vigilance because smoke can reduce visibility and pose a risk of accidents.

“We strongly urge members of the public who use water transport services, especially on the Kapuas River, to be careful when carrying out activities along the river channel,” said the Director of Water and Air Police of the West Kalimantan Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Agusman, in Pontianak on Tuesday.

He said the smoky conditions in several parts of the Kapuas River have caused limited visibility for water transport users.

Agusman asked river users to use navigation equipment and lighting that is easily visible to other water users in order to anticipate collisions and accidents.

His office also urged the public to reduce navigation activities at night because dark conditions and haze can further limit visibility.

Based on monitoring by officers, visibility on the Kapuas River in recent days has been around one to two kilometres, which is relatively better than previous conditions.

Agusman said this indicates an improvement in visibility compared with the previous week, when the smoke haze was thicker and visibility was reported to be very limited.

The West Kalimantan Regional Police has deployed personnel at six unit headquarters to conduct monitoring and provide services to the public who use water transport.

Agusman stressed that monitoring will continue to anticipate changes in visibility conditions due to smoke haze and to ensure the safety of people carrying out activities on the Kapuas River.

River users are asked to adjust their navigation activities to weather conditions, prioritise safety, and immediately reduce speed if visibility begins to decline.