PUPR wetting land to prevent fires near Syamsudin Noor Airport

South Kalimantan Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Agency officers wetting land to anticipate forest and land fires in Guntung Damar near Syamsudin Noor Airport, Landasan Ulin Sub-district, Banjarbaru City, Wednesday (Oct 2, 2024). ANTARA/HO-Dinas PUPR Kalsel

Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - The South Kalimantan Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Agency has deployed 42 personnel to carry out land wetting to prevent forest and land fires near Syamsudin Noor Airport, Banjarbaru.

Head of the PUPR Ahmad Solhan here on Wednesday said that the agency's forest and land task force has wetted land in Guntung Damar, Landasan Ulin Sub-district, Banjarbaru, which is close to Syamsudin Noor Airport.

PUPR officers regulate water flow pattern from the primary end of Riam Kanan irrigation (BRK 9), then open door or channel of the unit, which was built in 2020 as a facility for handling forest and land fires.

Officers distribute water by opening and closing doors at the Golf and operating Sawitan Dam to maintain the quality of the groundwater level.

"Maintaining the groundwater level by taking water from BRK 9 Riam Kanan is to always wet fire-prone areas," said Solhan.

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The BRK 9 Riam Kanan and Sawitan Dam infrastructure, he said, support personnel in reducing disruption due to forest and land fires around Guntung Damar and Syamsudin Noor Airport.

This step, he pointed out, is to anticipate disruption or obstacles to aircraft operation at the airport due to smog caused by forest and land fires.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), we had carried it out in 2023," said Solhan.

In 2024, Solhan predicted a wet dry season to occur and the peak of dry season will have a short period. However, PUPR, South Kalimantan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Banjar BPBD, and Banjarbaru BPBD remain alert in the Golf area and Liang Anggang Protected Forest.

In addition to deploy personnel, PUPR also mobilizes two pick-up trucks, two pumps, a floating pump, dompeng pump with a diameter of 6 inches, other equipment for security officers, as well as a budget for infrastructure.

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