Andriadi Perdana Putra, Theressia Silalahi, Pontianak, W. Kalimantan – President Prabowo Subianto ordered the deployment of additional troops, helicopters, and weather-modification operations on Saturday as Indonesia stepped up efforts to contain forest and land fires in Kalimantan that have caused widespread haze and disrupted flights.
Prabowo arrived at Supadio Air Force Base in West Kalimantan on Saturday and immediately chaired a meeting with senior central and regional officials to receive an update on the fires and accelerate the government response, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.
The government will deploy three additional military battalions, or about 1,500 personnel, from outside Kalimantan. The troops are expected to arrive from Saturday through early Sunday, Teddy said in a written statement.
Ground personnel will be deployed to help extinguish remaining fires, while the government will add six large helicopters for water-bombing operations. The helicopters were scheduled to arrive Saturday afternoon.
Authorities will also expand weather-modification operations to encourage rainfall in fire-affected areas, taking into account forecasts of potential rain in parts of West Kalimantan.
The measures are intended to accelerate firefighting and prevent the fires from spreading, Teddy said.
Prabowo visits fire site
After the meeting, Prabowo traveled to Limbung village in Kubu Raya district, where he inspected an active fire site and walked about one kilometer into the burned area to assess conditions firsthand.
He also spoke with West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan about the fires, which have affected the province since mid-July.
Norsan said the provincial government would work with the central government, military, and police to ensure the response is coordinated and sustained.
"We want the handling of these forest and land fires to be carried out jointly, in a measured and sustainable manner," Norsan said.
Prabowo also chaired a limited meeting at the Air Force base involving eight central government institutions and 10 regional officials, including representatives of the police, military, weather agency BMKG, and disaster agency BNPB.
Senior officials attending included National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Military Commander Agus Subiyanto, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and State Intelligence Agency chief Herindra.
Prabowo told officials that he had traveled to Kalimantan to see the response firsthand and asked regional authorities to provide an update on the situation.
Fires disrupt air travel
West Kalimantan has recorded 3,704 fire hotspots across its districts and cities, with Kubu Raya and Ketapang among the areas reporting the largest concentrations, according to local authorities.
The fires have produced thick haze and deteriorated air quality, with Pontianak reporting the highest levels of pollution in the province. Some local governments also moved classes online earlier this month because of the smoke.
Haze has also disrupted air travel at Supadio Airport. At least 21 morning flights were delayed between Aug. 18 and Aug. 21, according to local reports.
The latest deployment adds to a broader government operation across Kalimantan. Authorities have assigned senior military and police commanders to lead responses in four provinces: West, Central, South and East Kalimantan.
In West Kalimantan, the military commander and national police chief are leading the operation. Central Kalimantan is being overseen by the Army chief of staff and deputy police chief, while the Navy chief of staff and police operations chief are responsible for South Kalimantan. East Kalimantan is being led by the deputy military commander and Mobile Brigade commander.
Prabowo has also ordered authorities to take firm legal action against anyone found violating the law in connection with the fires.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/prabowo-orders-reinforcements-as-fire-chokes-kalimanta