Palembang, TheIndonesiaPost – A number of helicopters paced the skies of South Sumatra. Helicopters have been busy pouring water over the past month to extinguish land and forest fires.
There are total eight helicopters are on standby. However, only five helicopters flew to extinguish the fire. Namely Ka-32A11BC for fire-fighting. The Russian-made helicopter, which can fly for more than six hours, has poured 2.3 million liters of water. Then there’s the Sikorsky S61N / C-FXEC Heli. This heli which has an empty weight of around 900 kilo grams has poured 1.7 million liters of water. Plus three types of helicopters MI 8. Namely Heli MI8 RA-22700 (288,000 liters), Heli MI8 RA-22583 (236,000 litter), Heli MI-8AMT RA-24699 (32,000 litter). Quoted from Wikipedia, the Mi-8 helicopters are a dual turbine medium-sized helicopter originally designed by the Soviet Union and now produced by Russia. Its main role is as a transport helicopter, but it is also used as a flying command base, as an armed aircraft, and as a reconnaissance helicopter.
The heli’s aim is only one. Boosts the angry ‘Red (fire)’. Which if it gets angry, the whole land and forest will be devoured. The whole sky will be shrouded in mist. So much fog until it can be “exported” to neighboring countries.
South Sumatra is a province where forest and land fires are common thing. In Indonesia, there are several other provinces that are also experiencing forest and land fires. Among them; Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Papua, and the Riaun Islands.
‘The Angry Red’ is indeed no joke. Look at last year. During January-August 2019, fires burned 328,724 hectares of land throughout Indonesia. With a total hot spot reaching 4,077. Of the areas affected by forest and land fires, the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) was declared unhealthy.
That’s not all. Economically it also has an impact. According to World Bank, due to forest and land fires throughout 2019 Indonesia lost up to US $ 5.2 billion or more than Rp72.95 trillion.
Then for individuals, land and forest fires certainly have an impact on health. Starting from causing eye and skin irritation, worsening asthma, lung and respiratory infections, lowering body resistance, headaches, nausea and vomiting, to coughing. And in the midst of a covid-19 pandemic like now, the impact is likely to be even more severe.
Fires in 2019 are one of the benchmarks for handling land and forest fires this year. This is because the forest and land fires in 2019 were quite serious. 14 out of 17 districts / cities in South Sumatra experienced forest and land fires.
The total area of forest and land burned in South Sumatra Province from January to November 2019 reached 428,356 hectares. With the number of hot spots or Hot Spots during 2019 reaching 3,434 points.
The worst fire hitted Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) District. The fires in this area reached 233,546 hectares (54.52 percent). The sub-districts that were most severely affected and had difficulty in extinction were Tulung Selapan, Cengal, Pampangan, East Pedamaran and Air Sugihan.
Many factors influence forest fires. Starting from the dry season to the habit of people opening agricultural land by burning.
“The two most responsible factors are a change in the dry season, which has caused several hotspots in several areas, and an indication of an element of deliberation by the community which is a cheap and easy way to prepare land that is ready to be replanted by deliberately burning,” said South Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Pol Prof. Dr. Eko Indra Heri S, MM quoted from one of the local online media in South Sumatra.
In order so that ‘the angry red’ not get angry, again this year, or at least not too badly angry, the South Sumatra Provincial Government and all stakeholders continue to make various efforts. Including the South Sumatra Regional Police. Hopefully all these efforts do not make ‘The Angry Red’ get worst. Moreover, could made neighboring countries angry. (jekk/bbs)
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