Overcoming Forest And Land Fires, BRIN Collaborates With BRGM To Do A Second Artificial Rain TMC In Riau

Illustration - Police officers were in the vicinity of the burning land in Pelintung Village, Medang Kampai Dumai District, Riau, Tuesday (2/5/2023). ANTARA/Aswaddy Hamid

PEKANBARU - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in collaboration with the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) has again carried out Weather Modification Technology (TMC) in Riau after several months of discontinue.

"After being stopped, now the central government is again carrying out artificial rain operations (TMC) in the Riau Province and TMC matching salt in potential clouds which are expected to help rainfall in Riau," said Head of the Riau Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) M Edy Afrizal in his statement quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 22.

He hopes that this artificial rain can help the process of extinguishing the Forest and Land Fires (Karhutla) and wet peatlands in Riau to avoid land fires.

Because currently Riau is being hit by a dry dry dry season. He is grateful that Riau received TMC assistance again for the second stage and the artificial rain operation has started for several days.

"Thank you to BRGM and BRIN for implementing this second period of TMC. In general, peatlands in Riau are relatively dry. In the rainy season, there have been incidents of burning peatlands and the rain that has occurred for several days is still not enough to extinguish the fire perfectly," he said.

Therefore, his party hopes that the collaboration of TMC BRIN and BRGM which will be carried out for 11 days needs to be prioritized in eastern coastal areas dominated by peatlands.

He explained that the east coast of Riau is directly adjacent to neighboring countries so that the emergence of hotspots or even smog in priority areas will have the potential to cause smoke to spread to neighboring countries.

Previously, BNPB had also carried out TMC operations in Riau Province for 20 days from 9 April-8 May 2023.

A number of areas that had been hit by forest and land fires such as Sinaboi Rokan Hilir, in Pelintung and Sungai Sembilan Dumai and in Rupat were reported to have been extinguished, only the remaining one in Makmur Dumai Bay was still cooling down.

"Previously, Karhutla had also been found in the Tapung Kampar area. However, officers have succeeded in extinguishing it. The public is advised not to clear land by burning. It is not allowed to throw cigarette butts that are still burning. fire. Especially when in gardens, vacant land or in the forest," he said.