No date yet for Asean water bombing ops
KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesia has yet to set a date for water-bombing operations involving Asean member states, including Malaysia, to tackle forest and land fires in Kalimantan.
Indonesia has yet to establish a date for regional water-bombing initiatives aimed at combating forest and land fires in Kalimantan, according to the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Raden Datuk Mohammad Iman Hascarya Kusumo. Kusumo stated that further internal coordination and discussions were necessary before these collaborative efforts among ASEAN member states could be implemented.
The envoy's comments came as Indonesia intensified its response to the escalating fires, seeking to contain the situation in priority areas affected by the haze which has also impacted neighboring Malaysia. Indonesia is currently engaged in water-bombing and weather modification operations, contingent on favorable cloud formations and atmospheric conditions.
Regarding the sanctions imposed on corporations responsible for the extensive land destruction in Kalimantan, Kusumo highlighted that Indonesia would continue monitoring the companies' compliance and assess the effectiveness of the sanctions in promoting fire prevention and control. He clarified that the revocation of a company's permit would not occur automatically, but rather upon their successful fulfillment of specific obligations within designated timeframes.
Failure to meet these requirements could lead to further escalation of sanctions, including the suspension of business permits. Kusumo emphasized that companies possessing forest utilization permits bear not only the rights to manage the land but also the responsibility to safeguard it and prevent environmental degradation. The Indonesian government has taken proactive measures to address the fires, recently ordering the deployment of additional troops, helicopters, and firefighting equipment to the affected regions, with priority given to preventing the fires from spreading further.
The intensity of the fires has resulted in haze drifting across the border into Sarawak, leading to school closures and disruptions in daily life. Malaysia has offered support to Indonesia in the firefighting efforts, including cloud-seeding operations, and Indonesia has granted permission for Malaysian agencies to utilize its airspace for such initiatives.
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