Forest Fire Mitigation; BPPT to Maximize Artificial Rain

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Weather Modification Technology Center (BBTMC) of the Technology Assessment and Application Agency (BPPT) will continue to monitor artificial rain operations in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as part of efforts to combat forest fires in the provinces, and the smoke produced.

BBTMC head Tri Handoko Seto said the monitoring will be done through a number of TMC Operations Posts.

"We continue to monitor the success accountability of TMC operations from a number of TMC BBTMC-BPPT posts," Seto said, in Jakarta, Monday, September 30.

After several months of fighting forest and land fires by optimizing artificial rain, the air quality in a number of affected areas are beginning to improve.

Seto said there are several aspects BBTMC-BPPT refers to in observing air quality and rainfall intensity after optimizing TMC operations. They monitor the hourly weather situation and visibility through meteorological station data in all stations of each region. "As well as hotspot data, rainfall and water volume during TMC operations," Seto said.

Meanwhile, the BPPT chief Hammam Riza is thankful that the smog in several Sumatra and Kalimantan districts are gradually disappearing. "Over the past few days, rain with a fairly high intensity flushed a number of areas that experienced forest fires," Hammam said.

The TMC operation has also begun to reduce the number of hotspots and improve visibility in affected areas.

Hammam said that the BPPT will continue to monitor these areas "to anticipate and prevent new hotspots from appearing".

TEMPO