Accelerate Overcoming Forest And Land Fires, South Sumatra Provincial Government Gets Water Bombing Helicopter Assistance

JAKARTA - The Provincial Government of South Sumatra (Sumsel) received additional assistance from a water bombing helicopter from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). The helicopter is for handling forest and land fires (karhutla) in South Sumatra.

The Head of Emergency Handling of the South Sumatra BPBD, Sudirman, said that the assistance for the EX-08033/Mi8 MTV-1 type helicopter had gone through the process of checking documents and verification by the BNPB Commitment Making Officer (PPK) team.

With these additions, South Sumatra currently has five water bombing helicopters and two air patrol helicopters on standby to support efforts to extinguish the air.

"The newly assisted helicopter has also extinguished eight water bombings or the equivalent of 32 thousand liters of water in the Lampam Base area, Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency. The burned land is estimated to be three hectares," he said in Palembang, Friday, confiscated by Antara.

He said the addition of this air fleet was an anticipatory step in dealing with potential forest and land fires which were still threatening, even though rainfall began to fall in several parts of South Sumatra.

"The point is that we only receive helicopters from BNPB, because the assistance is from them. Then, the rain is also not evenly distributed in South Sumatra and there is still the potential for forest and land fires to occur. It is better if we are on standby before forest and land fires spread," he said.

Apart from OKI, water bombing operations were also carried out in Penukal District, Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency (PALI). At this location, helicopters carried out 20 water bombings to extinguish a burning land area of one hectare.

"Until the end of the blackout, the condition of forest and land fires in PALI was still failing," said Sudirman.