Chasing Rain In The Sky Of South Kalimantan To Prevent Forest And Land Fires, BMKG Deploys A Tabur Garam Aircraft

BANJARBARU The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) carried out a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) to prevent forest and land fires (karhutla) in South Kalimantan.

"We plan to use the Casa aircraft for the next 10 days from Air Squadron 4 Abdulrachman Saleh Malang Air Base, fully supported by Sjamsudin Noor Air Base," said BMKG Weather Modification Governance Director Edison Kurniawan in Banjarbaru, Antara, Thursday, August 14.

Edison explained that Casa's plane flies up to twice a day by sowing 800 kilograms of salt (NaCl). The timing of the implementation was chosen because the potential for clouds in South Kalimantan is optimum.

Salt serves to absorb water vapor in the atmosphere, make clouds heavier, and trigger rain.

"OMC is an effort to prevent land fires from occurring. With rain, the land becomes wet and the fire is difficult to burn," he said.

Based on the results of monitoring on August 13, 2025, the water level on peatlands still shows the high potential for forest and land fires. A total of 65 percent of peat areas in seven districts of Banjar, Tapin, Hulu Sungai Selatan, Hulu Sungai Utara, Balangan, Tabalong, and Barito Kuala are located at a depth of 0 to 40 centimeters below ground level.

The rest is less than 40 centimeters and has the potential to continue to shrink until dry, especially ahead of the peak of the dry season in September.

"So it is important that this peatland is always wet so it doesn't burn easily. If it is dry, when a hotspot appears, it is very difficult to extinguish it," explained Edison.

The Commander of Sjamsudin Noor Air Base Colonel Pnb Suparjo ensured full support for this operation, both in terms of personnel, facilities, and infrastructure.

"Always maintain good coordination and prioritize safety factors," he said.