Head of the Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center of the BNPB, Abdul Muhari, said here on Monday that ensuring the readiness of the helicopters, aircraft, and weather modification operations is the agency's main focus to anticipate fires.
"This year, the BNPB has prepared seven patrol helicopters and four waterbombing helicopters that have been deployed to various priority provinces. In addition, one aircraft for weather modification operations has been operating in Riau since May 4 (2025)," he informed.
According to Muhari, waterbombing helicopters not only drop water from the air, but are also used to fill flexible tanks placed in strategic locations that have a capacity of five thousand liters. Those tanks are used by the field task force to spray water at fire points.
In addition, the BNPB has begun to apply a weather engineering approach. In the early phase of the dry season, weather modification operations have been carried out to fill water reserves in reservoirs, ponds, and lakes in areas prone to forest and land fires.
A national-level preparedness muster was also held on April 29 to collect data on manpower, including the number of personnel from various ministries and agencies, as well as check the readiness of equipment.
"We wanted to ensure that all personnel are truly ready," he said.
Muhari added that the experience from 2023, when there was no transboundary haze affecting neighboring countries, reflects the success of adopting an integrated approach to handling forest and land fires.
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Translator: M Riezko, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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