TEMPO.CO, Perawang-Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas is preparing a thermal monitoring tower and a mini satellite to detect land and forest fire within or around its concession area.
The device will be put into use in concession area of Riau and its surroundings. “We already have the tower which will later be equipped with a thermal camera,” General Manager Forest Fire Management of APP Sinar Mas Sujica Lusaka said at the Situation Room Fire Management Team Riau, Perawang, on Monday, July 18, 2016.
Sujica says the thermal camera could ease surveillance to detect hot-spots in every district. The software for thermal tower will be finish in early August, and its construction will start once the software is ready.
The system will soon to be equipped with a mini satellite technology from Japan. Currently, APP Sinar Mas is using a large scale satellite, like Tera and Aqua satellite, whose accuracy is considered not too good.
Sujica said the mini satellite is needed to support accuracy and efficiency in land and forest fire management. “The mini satellite is lower and has a smaller scale, meanwhile the current satellite has many flaws,” he said. Besides able to inform hot spot coordinates, the satellite also includes a 24-hour real time location images.
The hot spots recorded in the device will be forwarded to district commands and province units to be further followed up with on-field verification until the countermeasures. The total concession of APP Sinar Mas in Riau reached 900,000 hectares.
GHOIDA RAHMAH
