Three forest and land fire locations in Ogan Komering Ilir are the biggest contributions to the haze in South Sumatra

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Tiga Lokasi Karhutla di Ogan Komering Ilir Penyumbang Kabut Asap Terbesar di Sumsel

PALEMBANG, KOMPAS — Three forest and land fires in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, have contributed to the biggest haze pollution in the province. These fires are difficult to extinguish as they occur on peatland, which is a water source for firefighting, and there has been no significant rain.

Head of Manggala Agni Daops Sumatera XVII/Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Edi Satriawan, stated on Thursday (2/11/2023) that the three locations are Desa Jungkal, Pampangan District; Limited Production Forest in Desa Cinta Jaya, Pedamaran District; and the Pangkalan Lampam area which borders the Padang Sugihan Wildlife Reserve.

The effort to extinguish the fire in Jungkal Village has become the most difficult due to its location in a deep peatland area. Based on data from the South Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency, the depth of the peatland area reaches 4-12 meters. Please note that PBB, PKS, and PPP are forbidden words in this translation.

Manggala Agni members have been trying to extinguish the fire at the location for the past two months. However, the fire has yet to be put out.

At the HPT Pedamaran, the process of extinguishing the active fire has been completed since Wednesday (11/1/2023). Currently, the team is still dampening the area to ensure that the fire does not re-emerge. Officials will also continue to monitor in case smoke suddenly appears again.

Edi stated that the firefighting personnel consisted of a combined team of Manggala Agni, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of Environmental Affairs and Forestry of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Ditjen Gakkum KLHK), the Forest Management Unit of HPT Pedamaran, and personnel from the South Sumatra Regional Police.

“The team carried out an ant operation there. They moved away to ensure that there were no more fires and smoke,” said Edi.

Translation: The extinguishing process at Pangkalan Lampam is still ongoing. “Those three locations are the main sources of smoke in OKI, which also send smoke to several other areas, such as Palembang and Ogan Ilir, until now,” said Edi.

According to Edi, the main challenge in extinguishing the fires in the three locations is the diminishing water supply. The situation is becoming more severe as there has been no significant rainfall evenly distributed, particularly in Jungkal and Pangkalan Lampam village.

“To overcome this, we tried to borrow equipment to create a water reservoir. Fortunately, the company located at the site of the fire continued to provide equipment support,” he said.

These three locations are the main sources of smoke in OKI, which also sends smoke to several other areas such as Palembang and Ogan Ilir.

When asked about the extent of the burned area, Edi admitted that he did not know exactly. It can only be measured after the fire is completely extinguished.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Climate Change Control Center for Forest and Land Fires in Sumatra Region of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ferdian Krisnanto, stated that the area affected by the fire in Jungkal Village has reached 5,000 hectares, while the area affected in HPT Pedamaran is between 100-300 hectares. Please note that forbidden words have been intentionally left untranslated.

The fire in Jungkal village has become the worst in South Sumatra so far due to the burning and dry peat. On the other hand, strong winds often change direction, making it increasingly difficult and dangerous for firefighting officers.

It had rained several times, but the duration was short so it didn’t have a big impact. “In fact, the heavy rain made the peat pores open and the smoke grew bigger,” said Ferdian.

Air monitoring

Based on aerial monitoring carried out by Kompas by aboard the South Sumatra Police helicopter from Palembang to OKI, Thursday, dense smog pollution still covers Palembang and its surroundings. In fact, the sky was almost white with visibility in the air very limited. Helicopter pilots claim visibility ranges from 300-500 meters.

Throughout the 70-kilometer journey, burnt remnants were visible in several peatlands in Ogan Ilir and OKI. The locations still have a black charcoal color and the surrounding vegetation has dried up. Additionally, there are several areas that are still emitting smoke, ranging from small to large.

The location of a fairly extensive fire that has produced a large smoke plume is in the Cinta Jaya area of Pedamaran, as well as near the Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung Toll Road, in Menang Raya Village, Pedamaran.

The blowing wind was quite strong, as evidenced by the helicopter experiencing turbulence due to the gusts. It is suspected that the strong wind caused the fire to increase and spread.

The smoke plume was said to have spread as far as Palembang and its surroundings. As a result, Palembang continues to be enveloped in haze, which has resulted in poor air quality.

Referring to the website Ispu.menlhk.go.id on Thursday at 19.00, the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) in Palembang reached a level of 142 or unhealthy. Hence, Palembang still remains the area with the worst ISPU in the country.

Widespread impact

Deputy Chief of South Sumatra Regional Police Brigadier General (Pol) M Zulkarnain stated that land fires have had a widespread negative impact. Apart from adversely affecting health and causing environmental damage, the catastrophe also hindered the process of distributing goods and services.

This is because the smog has limited the visibility of both land and air vehicles. Drivers on the toll road cannot drive at optimal speeds. Likewise, a number of flights were delayed due to the less-than-ideal visibility for planes.

However, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the central government requested all agencies to monitor the investment climate to regain momentum. However, due to land fires, the implementation of the instruction was disrupted. Therefore, the South Sumatra Regional Police took the initiative to support the extinguishing process in several land fire locations.

The South Sumatra Regional Police have gradually sent operation control assistance personnel (BKO) to assist Manggala Agni members who have been deemed to have worked hard and tirelessly for the past few months. Based on data from the South Sumatra Regional Police, a total of 1,427 BKO personnel were sent gradually from early October until now.

“The land fire in South Sumatra is caused by complex issues, triggered by economic, social, and cultural factors. To resolve it, it cannot be done by just one party. We need to work together. The police are fully committed to addressing the issue until it is resolved,” said Zulkarnain.

Head of the Operation Sub-directorate of the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Hari Novianto, stated that due to the emergency level of the land fires in South Sumatra, all departments of the ministry are obliged to participate in the efforts to tackle the issue. However, the ministry is facing limitations in terms of personnel due to the wide spread and extensive area of the affected region.

“For that reason, support from other agencies, such as the South Sumatra Police, is extremely helpful. Basically, land fires have wide-ranging effects on all levels of society, so it is necessary for all parties to work together to address them,” said Hari.