JAKARTA, Aug 10 — Indonesia is deploying water-bombing aircraft and preparing to carry out weather modification operations to tackle widespread forest and land fires amid increasingly dry conditions brought by El Nino.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said President Prabowo Subianto had instructed authorities to coordinate the necessary resources and equipment to contain the fires.
He said West and Central Kalimantan were among the most affected areas, with large numbers of hotspots recorded, while a major fire was burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in East Java.
“We continue to coordinate with the East Java provincial government, the regional military commander, the regional police chief, the Forestry Minister and his entire team, as well as the head of TNBTS to make every possible effort to extinguish the fire as soon as possible,” he told a media conference today.
Prasetyo also urged the public to exercise caution during the current dry season and avoid activities that could potentially trigger uncontrolled fires.
