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PT Tri Buana Mas (TBM) Astra Agro together with partner farmers and the Fishermen’s Fire Prevention Group Fishermen(NPA) of Sawaja Village, Candi Laras Utara District, Tapin, South Kalimantan (Kalsel) held a socialization of strategies and guidance for the prevention and control of forest and land fires (karhutla), a form of alertness to face the 2024 drought.
This is in line with the La Nina phenomenon predicted by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), which will affect rainfall in some parts of Indonesia but does not affect the preparedness of PT TBM and NPA.
“We are maintaining the availability of water together with the NPA group to make overflow, in the convertible production forest (HPK) area,” said PT TBM Administrator Dwi Hartono, quoting the press release of PT TBM Public Relations, in Candi Laras Utara, Saturday.
Dwi explained that this is done so that the water does not recede or run out throughout the dry season, the availability of water is a strategic key for all parties to carry out their duties, in handling forest and land fires, or for fishermen in finding their livelihoods.
“We have made overflow and prepared other facilities and infrastructure to support our readiness and the community, in carrying out strategies to prevent and control forest and land fires. Not only the company, of course, the community is also provided with infrastructure that helps them face this dry season,” he said.
According to Dwi, PT TBM currently utilizes drones to monitor hard-to-reach areas and provides monitoring towers for general monitoring.
In addition to being equipped with supporting infrastructure for forest and land fire mitigation, PT TBM has also provided fishing gear which has been customised for the dry season, so that swamp fishermen can continue to make a living safely.
“We provided fishing gear made specifically for the dry season because in the past some fishermen used sparks as a fishing method for the dry season. Such things are of course dangerous and have the potential to create fires. Hopefully, with the help of the NPA group, this practice will cease to exist,” he said.
The collaboration with the NPA group supports guarding in the HPK area during the dry season, while fishing, fishermen also explore swamp areas where they look for fish to monitor forest and land fires.
Not only with NPA groups, PT TBM also synergizes with fire care community groups (MPA), as well as the local police in conducting routine monitoring.
Source: Antaranews.com
