JAKARTA: Japan has offered Indonesia assistance with water-bombing operations to combat forest and land fires in Kalimantan, as the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) in the region surged past 1,000.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Acting Head of Data, Information and Disaster Communication Centre Berton Panjaitan said the assistance would involve three helicopters, including a Chinook, with operations scheduled to begin on Sept 10.
"Preparations are under way, including a site survey, with discussions focusing on the operational aspects of water-bombing missions in Kalimantan,” he said at an online press conference on Saturday (Aug 29).
Latest data from the Environment Ministry showed Jekan Raya in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, recording an ISPU of 1,108 as of 4.55 pm on Saturday, while South-East Pontianak in West Kalimantan reached 1,075. Both readings were categorised as hazardous.
BNPB also reported 9,242 hotspots across West, Central and South Kalimantan, with all three provinces recording increases.
West Kalimantan saw the sharpest rise, with the number of hotspots increasing by 1,629 to 3,371. A total of 171 fire spots were recorded across the three provinces.
Despite the worsening conditions, Berton said weather modification operations had helped bring rain to several affected areas on Sumatra, including parts of Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi and Lampung.
However, similar operations could not be conducted in Central and South Kalimantan due to a lack of suitable clouds.
BNPB currently has 52 aircraft supporting firefighting operations, comprising 38 for water bombing and 14 for aerial patrols and weather modification, with about 3.5 million litres of water dropped across the six priority provinces. - Bernama
