The Deputy Minister Of Transportation Said That WKS Maintains Environmental Sustainability From The Threat Of Forest And Land Fires

JAMBI - Deputy Minister of Forestry (Wamenhut) Sulaiman Umar Siddiq said that the HTI PT Wirakya Sakti () business unit APP Group has played a role in preserving the environment from the threat of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in recent years.

This was conveyed by the Deputy Minister of Transportation who was accompanied by Jambi Governor Al Haris, while reviewing the readiness to prevent forest and land fires on PT Wirakarya Sakti's land in District VII, Rukam Village, Taman Rajo District, Muaro Jambi Regency, Saturday.

The working visit of the Deputy Minister of Transportation, Sulaiman Umar Siddiq, was to ensure the preparedness of Karhutla control in Jambi Province, precisely in the operational working area of PT Wirakarya Sakti, the APP Group business unit.

This visit is a form of strengthening synergy between the government and business actors in preserving the environment from the threat of fire.

In the agenda, the group directly inspected a number of strategic Karhutla control facilities owned by PT WKS in District VII, including water-intake infrastructure in Rukam Village, 24-hour hotspot monitoring Situation Room, fire monitoring towers, outage facilities and infrastructure, as well as seed nursery centers (nursery).

The group also witnessed water-intake operational simulations and technical discussions about peatland management strategies in a sustainable manner.

"The water-intake program belonging to PT WKS is very good, there were several examples of large pumps used to control prevention and according to our message with the Governor, we must collaborate together, both from local governments, PT WKS, and the entire community to prevent forest and land fires," said Sulaiman.

Then the most important thing, according to the Deputy Minister, is how to jointly build public awareness and provide education, that how dangerous forest and land fires are.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Jambi, Al Haris also expressed his appreciation for PT WKS' contribution in utilizing peatlands that were previously prone to fire into productive areas.

"We are proud that PT WKS is extraordinary in contributing to building Jambi," he said.

At least, unused peatlands and high potential fires but for PT WKS companies are produced, and this is productive.

"Hopefully this will be an extraordinary energy and there will be a multiplier effect on the government as well," he hoped.

As part of its commitment, APP Group through PT WKS applies an Integrated Fire Management (IFM) approach which includes prevention, preparation, early detection, and rapid response.

In Jambi, PT has alerted 600 firefighters (RPK), 21 members of the Rapid Response Team (TRC), and 100 volunteers from the Fire Care Community (MPA).

Support facilities include water bombing helicopters, amphibious boats, high-pressure pumps, and satellite and drone monitoring technology have also been activated for the 2025 dry season.

APP Group Director Suhendra Wiriadinata said PT WKS' efforts reflected the seriousness of the APP Group in supporting the government in preventing fires early on, especially in vulnerable peatlands.

Through an integrated and technology-based approach, his party seeks to maintain the ecosystem while at the same time supporting the welfare of the people around the forest.

In addition to the technical aspects in the field, he said APP Group through PT WKS strengthened fire mitigation efforts through cooperation with BMKG in the implementation of the Weather Modification Operation (OMC).

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on June 11 at the BMKG Headquarters, Jakarta, and was immediately followed by a plan to seed clouds for 10 days before the dry season in the Jambi and South Sumatra regions.

This activity is intended as an anticipatory step to reduce the risk of forest and land fires, in line with APP Group's commitment to the Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2030.