Wildfires spread near new capital Nusantara
Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain haze in six provinces hit the hardest by forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra islands, which so far have reached 73,311 hectares.
Indonesia is ramping up efforts to combat haze affecting six provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra islands, with fires consuming 73,311 hectares so far. The haze has now begun spreading near the planned new capital city of Nusantara, prompting authorities to request cloud-seeding and water-bombing operations from the disaster mitigation agency.
In Kalimantan, fires have been most intense in the eastern region near Nusantara, but the area has historically been relatively fire-free since the start of the dry season in July. However, recent fires around Nusantara have prompted the request for assistance, according to Agus Riyanto, director for emergency response at the disaster mitigation agency.
Indonesia is currently experiencing its most challenging dry season in a decade, worsened by a super El Nino event. The largest fire near Nusantara is at Bukit Suharto, or Suharto Hill, a forest park named after the former autocratic president, where around 300 hectares have burned. The park is located approximately 50 kilometers from the city center, which is home to several major projects completed for the new capital.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
