BANJARBARU – As dry season is expected to be lingering due to the ongoing EL Nino phenomenon, the possibility of worsening forest and land fires (Karhutla) is haunting the oil palm growers, including those in South Kalimantan (Kalsel), where the fires have scorched up to 24,588 hectares of forests and unproductive land areas.
So far, the Kalsel growers can still feel fortunate as no fire incidents were found in the province’s oil palm plantation areas. “Most of the fire incidents occurred in unproductive lands, like peat lands near to the airport. But if left unextinguished, the fires will then affect the productive lands, such as the oil palm plantations. That’s why since early on all stakeholders have been committed to helping the firefighting efforts to prevent the fires from spreading to plantation areas,” the agriculture ministry’s Plantations Director General Andi Nur Alamsyah said.
He said that all stakeholders have taken preparatory steps in dealing with the potential fires, despite the fact that so far all fires occurred far away from plantation areas. “The government and the private sector are committed to jointly supporting the firefighting efforts to prevent the fires from spreading uncontrollably,” he said when visiting the Karhutla post in Guntung Damar area of Banjarbaru mayoralty, Kalsel, on Wednesday, 04 October 2023.
According to Andi, Karhutla in the peat lands has disturbed the economic and social activities of the general public. “The fires have increased cases of respiratory problems in Kalsel, and disturbed flight activities in Syamsudin Noor Banjarbaru airport,” said Andi.
He said that in order to help tackling the Karhutla, the agriculture ministry had prepared 50 units of portable water pump to help the task force of forest and land fires (Satgas Karhutla) and the local people to extinguish the fires.
“I’ve also phoned GAPKI chairman to also contribute the water pump units. Hopefully, they can provide more. Perhaps, 100 units more of the portable water pump,” Andi said.
The Indonesian Palm Oil Association’s (GAPKI) Kalsel Office Head Eddy S Binti has ensured that GAPKI will stay alert in helping the government and other stakeholders in tackling the fire problems. GAPKI will not only provide the units of portable water pump.
“We’ve also developed Karhutla posts. There we assign 6 units of firefighters, 6 units of portable water pump, 12 fire hose rolls and nozzles, personal protective equipment units and other needed equipment units,” said Eddy S Binti.
According to him, since the beginning of El Nino phenomenon, all member companies of GAPKI in Kalsel have activated their Satgas Karhutla in their respective companies.
“The teams of Satgas Karhutla have helped socializing the necessary steps that should be taken by the general public to prevent fires. The steps include best alternative ways to clear land for agricultural purposes, and avoid resorting to burning method to clear lands,” Eddy S Binti said.
According to him, the operation of the Satgas Karhutla is very effective in controlling fires. Their operations include patrolling the oil palm plantations and surrounding areas, and quickly taking extinguishing actions in case of finding fire incidents in their plantation areas and surrounding areas.
“To make our operations effective we keep coordination with all stakeholders. We’re also ready to help the public impacted by the fire disasters,” said Eddy S Binti
To prevent the fires from worsening, GAPKI will collaborate with the South Kalimantan’s (Kalsel) Satgas Karhutla, which consists of the provincial government of Kalsel, the environment and forestry ministry (KLHK), agriculture ministry (Kementan), national military and police (TNI-Polri), and the regional disasters mitigation board (BPBD), to go all out in extinguishing the fires in Kalsel province.
GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono confirmed that so far there had been no oil palm plantations owned by GAPKI members caught on fire.
“Actually, since 2020 we in GAPKI have asked all member companies to help the local governments and other local stakeholders to prevent the Karhutla cases. One way to realize it is by asking our member companies to activate their respective Satgas Karhutla and make them stay alert 24 hour for firefighting endeavors,” he said.
Eddy Martono said that the Satgas Karhutla is very effective in anticipating and controlling fire incidents. “Basically, the Satgas Karhutla in every company are 24 hour standby in monitoring hot spots in our plantation areas and areas near to our plantations. That’s why there has been no case of fires in the plantations of GAPKI member companies,” Eddy Martono said. (Benget Besalicto ST)
