Jepun tawar bantu padam kebakaran hutan, ISPU Kalimantan lebih 1,000

Indonesia is seeking Japanese assistance to battle forest and land fires in Kalimantan, as the country's air pollution index (ISPU) has risen above 1,000. Berton Panjaitan, head of the National Disaster Management, Information and Communication Centre, revealed that the support would include three helicopters, such as a Chinook, scheduled to begin operations on September 10. Preparations are underway, focusing on site reviews and discussions centered around the water-bombing firefighting mission in Kalimantan.

Current data from the Environment Ministry records show that Palangka Raya in Kalimantan Tengah recorded an ISPU of 1,108 by 4:55 pm on Saturday, while Pontianak Barat in Kalimantan Barat recorded 1,075. Both readings are categorized as dangerous. The BNPB reported that 9,242 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan Barat, Tengah, and Selatan, with all three regions noting an increase. Kalimantan Barat reported the highest number of hotspots, rising to 3,371. Fires were recorded at 171 locations across the three areas.

While the situation worsens, Panjaitan stated that weather modification operations have helped generate rainfall in some affected areas in Sumatra, including parts of Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, and Lampung. However, these operations are not possible in Kalimantan Tengah and Selatan due to the lack of suitable clouds. The BNPB currently has 52 aircraft to support the fire-fighting mission, comprising 38 for water-bombing suppression and 14 for aerial patrol and weather modification. Approximately 3.5 million liters of water have been released across six priority regions.