The weather modification aims to mitigate potential intense rainfall, wildfires, and droughts in the province, according to Abdul Muhari, Head of the agency’s Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center.
As of Saturday (Aug 3) afternoon, the agency's CASA aircraft had carried out 119 sorties with 111 tons of sodium chloride salt and and eight tons of calcium oxide, he said in a press statement received in Jakarta.
To reduce the risks of hydrometeorological hazards, the agency is focusing cloud seeding operations on districts such as Penajam Paser Utara and Mahakam Ulu, which are Nusantara’s buffer zones, he said.
With flooding and wildfires still threatening several regions of the province, Muhari stated that the BNPB would continue weather modification operations as part of its disaster mitigation efforts.
The agency recorded at least 9,148 hotspots of land and forest fires in the province from January to July 2024. Most of the hotspots were detected in Kutai Timur and Kutai Kartanegara Districts.
Four helicopters were deployed to help extinguish the wildfires there, he added.
As previously reported, BNPB has pledged to optimize its mitigation efforts to safeguard the ongoing construction in Nusantara and the Independence Day flag-raising ceremony, to be held in the capital city for the first time on August 17.
The BNPB expressed its commitment during a coordination meeting with representatives of the East Kalimantan Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) on Friday, August 2.
Speaking in connection with the 79th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated earlier that the flag-hoisting ceremony would take place in Nusantara and Jakarta.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) previously announced that the flag-raising ceremony would take place in both Nusantara and Jakarta on the 79th anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day.
President Jokowi will lead the ceremony in Nusantara, while Vice President Ma’ruf Amin will lead it in Jakarta, according to Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy.
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Translator: M.Riezko BEP, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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