Head of the Forest Fire Control Center for the Sumatra Region of the Ministry of Forestry, Ferdian Krisnanto, on Tuesday said the operation is targeting areas affected by ongoing forest and land fires, as well as fire-prone locations, to help suppress the blazes through induced rainfall.
"The budget for the operation is supported by the Forestry Ministry. The target is for rain to fall, especially in locations where forest and land fires are occurring, thereby helping to suppress the spread of hotspots and expedite handling in the field," he explained.
Krisnanto added that rainfall generated through the weather modification operation (OMC) is expected to help extinguish the fires while replenishing water supplies in reservoirs and canals used by firefighting teams.
"The rain is expected to help expedite the extinguishing process, fill reservoirs and canals, and moisten the increasingly drying land," he continued.
The implementation of the weather modification is supported by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), with the responsibility to analyze weather and atmospheric conditions, compile weather forecasts, and determine the potential for cloud growth suitable for seeding.
Meanwhile, the Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Force Base supports air traffic coordination, flight technical aspects, and safety during the operation.
On the first day of the implementation, the team conducted one cloud seeding sortie by spreading 800 kilograms of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) District.
Krisnanto expressed hope that the weather modification operation would run effectively and significantly support efforts to control forest and land fires in priority areas across South Sumatra.
"We hope this operation runs optimally and brings a significant impact in supporting forest and land fire control in the South Sumatra region, especially in areas currently prioritized for firefighting efforts," he remarked.
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Translator: Ahmad Rafli B, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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