"This includes our support for a conducive situation for the development of the new capital city (IKN) Nusantara in East Kalimantan," Suharyanto, the BNPB head, noted in a statement from his office on Saturday.
Based on inventory data from the East Kalimantan Karhutla Task Force Team for the January-July 2024 period, the region has 9,148 hotspots.
According to the task force, most hotspots were located in the districts of East Kutai and Kutai Kartanegara. If not handled properly, hotspots have the potential to spread to other regions during the dry season with strong winds.
"The regional government has considered this. They requested for a priority handling in the area," Suharyanto remarked.
His side immediately responded to the request by deploying four helicopters to patrol and conduct aerial water bombing in East Kalimantan.
"We are ready to add helicopters if there is an escalation (in the condition) of forest and land fires in East Kalimantan," he stated.
The BNPB also provided supporting logistical facilities and infrastructure for handling forest and land fires by allocating the BNPB Ready-to-Use Fund (DSP) to the East Kalimantan provincial government, including 40 water pumps, consisting of 30 main pumps and 10 portable pumps, five water tanks, and 20 sets of personal protective equipment for firefighters.
Suharyanto commended the quick steps taken by the East Kalimantan provincial government in determining the emergency alert status for forest and land fires until November 2024 so the central government can immediately send assistance to the region.
This has been carried out in the six other priority provinces for forest and land fires, namely South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
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Translator: M. Riezko Bimo E, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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