Limited Aircraft Hampers Artificial Rain Seeding Efforts
30 September 2014 12:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government's efforts to stop forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan by seeding artificial rain clouds using the Indonesian Air Force's (TNI-AU) Hercules C-130 aircraft is hampered by TNI-AU's limited number of aircraft.
"The limited number of aircrafts available is the main hurdle to our fire fighting efforts," said the Head of Information and Public Relations at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho in Jakarta on Tuesday.
To date, only one Hercules C-130 aircraft can be deployed in BNPB's effort, which severely reduces BNPBs capacity to seed rain clouds over fire hotspots.
"We are trying to find other aircrafts that we can borrow," said Sutopo.
BNPB's rain cloud seeding program is expected to continue into October 2014. So far, artificial rain has been seeded over Riau, South Sumatra, and Central Kalimantan.
"The main base of operation is located in Palembang, and we are currently seeding rain clouds over South Sumatra," said Sutopo.
Although BNPB is focusing on seeding rain clouds over South Sumatra, the effects can be seen as far as Jambi and Lampung - depending on the wind condition and direction.
TNI-AU's Hercules aircraft has been deployed since Sunday, September 21, 2014.
To date, four tons of NaCl have been 'planted' in rain clouds over Palembang and its' vicinity. Downpour have been observed in the area, and consequently, the number of hotspots in South Sumatra has decreased.
ANTARA | FIQIH ARFANI | ELLA SYAFPUTRI