South Sumatra Regional Police Deploys 126 Personnel to Work to Overcome Forest and Land Fires

Illustration of forest and land fires or forest and land fires. (Between)

SUMSEL - The South Sumatra (Sumsel) Regional Police added hundreds of personnel to work in handling forest and land fires (karhutla) in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency and Ogan Ilir Regency.

"We added 126 personnel to deal with forest and land fires after we had sent 325 personnel," said South Sumatra Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General Zulkarnain after the morning personnel release ceremony at the South Sumatra Police Headquarters, Tuesday, September 19, reported by Antara.

Hundreds of additional personnel will work throughout the week. Zulkarnain said, this is the National Police's commitment to handling forest and land fires, especially in the South Sumatra region.

"We are looking at the situation, if possible, then within a week the forest and land fires can be resolved. However, if the situation on the ground is not possible, then additional personnel will be added," said Zulkarnain.

The personnel deployed are equipped with adequate equipment, ranging from AWC tactical vehicles (rantis), fire trucks, water pumps, to water tanks.

The personnel deployed to the two districts prone to forest and land fires also aim to assist local communities in preventing and dealing with forest and land fires, both on agricultural land and plantations, around village areas or community settlements.

Zulkarnain hopes that South Sumatra Regional Police personnel can maintain their health condition so they can work optimally and forest and land fires can be resolved immediately.

"This forest and land fire must be ended so that the smoke haze caused by forest fires can disappear and the potential for respiratory diseases caused by smoke haze no longer exists," he said.