Smog Threat Looms Over Asian Games

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A Super Puma helicopter belonging to APP Sinar Mas drops water bombs to extinguish a forest fire in Kayu Labu village, Pedamaran Timur district, Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The government is cooperating with private parties to extinguish the fires so as to prevent the smoke from spreading. This is necessary because the presence of smoke threatens the success of the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

OGAN KOMERING ILIR, KOMPAS – Forest and peatland fires are beginning to emerge and may threaten Asian Games competitions to be held in Palembang, South Sumatra, between Aug. 18 and Sept. 2. The international sports events will be opened in Jakarta on Aug. 18.

Three hundred hectares of land in the districts of Pedamaran and East Pedamaran in Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra, were reportedly on fire on Wednesday (18/7/2018). South Sumatra’s forest and land fire (karhutla) mitigation task force has been working with private companies to put out the flames from land and from the air.

On Wednesday morning, Kompas joined a 20-minute ride on a Bell 412 EP helicopter belonging to pulp and paper giant APP Sinar Mas out of Palembang’s Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin (SMB) II International Airport and saw thick white columns of smoke over local forests and oil palm plantations. The columns of smoke were coming from several fires.

Water bombs dropped from a Super Puma helicopter proved ineffective for putting out the fires in East Pedamaran, a four-hour drive from Palembang.

The hotspots and smoke did not emerge only on Wednesday. At least 74 hotspots have been detected since early July, an increase from 52 hotspots in June.

“Forest fires must not disrupt the Asian Games,” South Sumatra karhutla mitigation task force chief Col. (Inf.) Iman Budiman said on Wednesday. Forest fire mitigation efforts will prioritize the three regencies of Ogan Ilir, Ogan Komering Ilir and Banyuasin.

SMB II International Airport meteorological station spokesman Agus Santosa said the region could go for up to six days without rain, raising average temperatures to 32-34 degrees Celsius. Compared to the dry seasons of 2016 and 2017, this year’s dry season is more arid.

However, it is still less arid than that of 2015, when thick smog covered Palembang and the surrounding areas for days. “If this is neglected, we are worried that Palembang will see smog again this year,” Agus said.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A Super Puma helicopter belonging to APP Sinar Mas drops water bombs to extinguish a forest fire in Kayu Labu village, Pedamaran Timur district, Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The government is cooperating with private parties to extinguish the fires so as to prevent the smoke from spreading. This is necessary because the presence of smoke threatens the success of the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Red alert

Imam said that, given the increasing number of hotspots, the task force would implement a Red Alert status between July 20 and Sept. 5 this year. Therefore, integrated teams of 10 members each will be deployed starting on July 20 in the Pati Geni land reconnaissance operation.

The integrated teams will be deployed to 52 villages deemed prone to forest fires that may trigger smog all the way to Palembang. The teams will monitor the activities of villagers and inform them about preventing fires and fighting them at an early stage. “The teams will stay in the villages and conduct daily patrols in a 200-km radius,” Imam said.

Monitoring the activities of locals is important to speed up the process to identify perpetrators if fires occur. In previous patrols, officers often found unused mosquito coils in local forests. It is believed that the mosquito coils had been lit up in an attempt to burn forest areas, but the fire had failed to spread.

If lit-up mosquito coils are placed near rice straw, the arsonist has around 20 minutes to run and save himself. “This is a popular modus operandi. It is terribly difficult to find the arsonist,” Imam said.

To secure the Asian Games, all local police personnel in the regencies of Ogan Ilir, Ogan Komering Ilir, Banyuasin and Musi Banyuasin have been ordered to help in forest fire prevention and fire-fighting efforts. “Police personnel in the regencies are relieved from the duty to secure the Asian Games. They have been ordered to focus on preventing and fighting fires in their respective regions,” South Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Zulkarnain Adinegara said.

South Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Iriansyah said that the fire operations were part of an emergency response period from February to October this year. Ahead of the Asian Games, the agency has requested the procurement of 10 fire helicopters to assist in aerial firefighting.

“Currently, we have three helicopters. Hopefully, two more will arrive in Palembang soon,” he said.

A number of Asian Games competitions will be held in Palembang, most of which are outdoor sports, including roller-skating, canoeing, triathlon and women’s soccer. Such outdoor sports are sensitive to weather conditions.

The government needs to ensure that all competitions will go ahead smoothly and without disruption. Furthermore, smog is known for its adverse health effects.

In Riau, Governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman said he had asked the local karhutla task force to optimize its fire-fighting efforts. He said he hoped forest fires would be prevented from spreading uncontrollably.

In Jambi, authorities are calling for inter-regional fire-fighting efforts. However, the Jambi administration has yet to declare an emergency status over the province.

“South Sumatra has declared [an emergency status], but Jambi has not. This makes it hard for us to move effectively,” Jambi Forestry Agency karhutla mitigation task force head Donny Osmond said.

In the past few years, Musi Banyuasin regency in South Sumatra has been hit with bouts of severe forest fires. Due to its close proximity to Jambi, fire-fighting operations were often launched from the province.

With proper cooperation, fire-fighting efforts in fire-prone forests can be more effective, so as not to disrupt the Asian Games.

On Wednesday, Sarolangun regency in Jambi declared an emergency status; the latest regency to do so after Merangin and Muaro Jambi. The Jambi governor has been urged to declare a province wide emergency.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A Super Puma helicopter belonging to APP Sinar Mas drops water bombs to extinguish a forest fire in Kayu Labu village, Pedamaran Timur district, Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The government is cooperating with private parties to extinguish the fires so as to prevent the smoke from spreading. This is necessary because the presence of smoke threatens the success of the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Operation plans

In Jakarta, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) disaster preparedness director Lilik Kurniawan said the agency was finishing up its operational plan to mitigate smog emergencies during the Asian Games in South Sumatra. The operational plan would be submitted to regional administrations on July 26.

Lillik said he hoped regional administrations would respond to the plan immediately. Smog mitigation should not be seen as a trivial issue and requires collective commitment from all relevant parties.

Lilik said the operational plan included two important measures related to ensuring public safety during Asian Games. The first entails a plan to secure sport venues and the hotels where athletes will stay, as well as to evacuate athletes, officials and guests if the smog level gets too high for Games activities to continue.

The second entails the detection of forest fires and early mitigation efforts. Entering the dry season, fires should be anticipated early.

The government, through the relevant agencies, has done everything in its power to monitor potential hotspots. Apart from cooperation, authorities are also using technological means to anticipate smog, including weather-modification technology by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

Outside Sumatra, forest fires have also been reported in Central Kalimantan, including in Kapuas regency.

(RAM/SAH/ITA/AYS/IDO)