BRG conducts rapid wetting to prevent land and forest fire in S Kalimantan

Fire fighting efforts on peatlands. (Antaranews Kalsel/doc.)

Based on the general data for the past two months, the two KHG (peat ecosystem located between two rivers, between a river and the sea or swamps) showed a trend of decreasing in the average value of TMA,

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Peat Restoration Agency (BRG) through the assistance task mechanism (TP) carried out rapid wetting in South Kalimantan on July 6-8, 2020 to prevent fires.

Deputy of Education, Socialization, Participation and Partnership of the agency Dr Myrna A Safitri reported this at a virtual coordination meeting with all related parties in South Kalimantan, Wednesday.

She said, data from nine water level monitoring devices (TMA) built by BRG showed water level in the KHG of Balangan River – Batangalai River was 0,4 meter below the surface of the peat and required rapid wetting effort.

Wetting the peat ecosystem with built peat wetting infrastructure (IPG), she said, was the initial effort to prevent fire.

"Based on the general data for the past two months, the two KHG (peat ecosystem located between two rivers, between a river and the sea or swamps) showed a trend of decreasing in the average value of TMA," she said.

Whereas in KHG Barito River – Tapin River the water level was still above the ground level.

According to Myrna, the decrease in water level is very likely to be the potential for a fire.

BRG together with TP worked together with the South Kalimantan peatland fire task force coordinated by BPBD to coordinate closely in disaster mitigation effort through peat wetting operations.

South Kalimantan Provincial Government in accordance with Governor Decree No.188.44/0487/KUM/2020 from July 1 to November 30, 2020 established an emergency alert status for the handling of haze disaster due to forest and land fire in the province.

The South Kalimantan land and forest fire task force was formed consisting of police, TNI, satpol PP, volunteers, BPBD, and fire brigade.

BRG together with TP will assist the task force by providing early warning data, including a decrease in water level, hotspot detected in the GLAD-PRIMS application, for location checking patrol and early extinguishing.

BRG and TP, she said, also will continue to conduct socialization to peat care village. At present there are 36 peat care villages fostered by BRG in South Kalimantan.