Indonesia focuses on 3 tasks to fight fires in Kalimantan Nat'l Park

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, are focusing on three main tasks, namely firefighting, opening road access, and building bore wells.

"Handling in the field is currently focused on three main tasks, namely firefighting, opening road access, and building bore wells to support water availability," Antoni said in a statement here on Friday.

To accelerate the response, the team has been divided into three groups: a road-clearing team, a bore well construction team, and a firefighting team. Antoni said the division of tasks was intended to speed up operations while ensuring that personnel had access routes and adequate water supplies to fight the fires.

The road-clearing team has opened approximately 1.8 kilometers of footpath toward Pesalat Shelter.

The route is needed to facilitate the movement of personnel and equipment and the delivery of water supplies to fire-affected areas.

“We have managed to break through about 1.8 kilometers of road access toward Pesalat Shelter, and we are also determining water source points, the placement of flexible or portable tanks, and bore wells,” he said.

Antoni and other officials also visited the site to determine locations for flexible or portable water tanks, water supply lines, and bore wells. The locations were selected according to the operational needs of firefighting teams.

Water supply points are being established at several locations, with each planned to connect to Pesalat Shelter.

Antoni and his team also walked from Tanjung Harapan along the newly opened 1.8-kilometer footpath to Pesalat Shelter to inspect the construction of a water reservoir that will supply water to the fire-affected areas.

“Two teams are installing them. We are installing tonight so they can be used straight away tomorrow, and we will stay overnight to make sure they are installed,” he said.

Antoni stressed that firefighting efforts in Tanjung Puting would continue at full capacity, with all available resources being mobilized.

“The government, together with the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police, Manggala Agni, regional governments, and all related elements, continues to work in the field to bring the fire under control and protect the Tanjung Puting National Park area,” he said.

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Translator: Arnidhya, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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