Emergency Water Retention Basin Built in Padu Banjar as KPH Team Responds to New Wildfire Report During Site Inspection

The North Kayong Forest Management Unit (UPT KPH) has intensified its wildfire prevention and suppression efforts across Padu Banjar Village, Simpang Hilir District, North Kayong Regency. The operational drive follows a comprehensive evaluation of patrol routes, field groundchecks, and suppression deployments executed over the past few days. Field evaluations revealed that scarce local water sources remained a primary bottleneck during frontline firefighting operations.

To mitigate this constraint, the Kayong Forest Management Unit teamed up with local stakeholders to construct an emergency water retention basin (embung darurat) across a fire-prone sector. The basin was engineered by damming and excavating an existing drainage ditch with limited discharge to impound water reserves for immediate suppression use.

PT Mayawana Persada supported the initiative by mobilizing a heavy excavator alongside an operational crew. This machinery support accelerated excavation timelines, securing vital water reserves well before potential fires could ignite.

Representing the Head of the Kayong Forest Management Unit, Ponty Wijaya, the Section Head for Forest Protection and Community Empowerment, Indra, conveyed his appreciation to PT Mayawana Persada. He also commended the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Padu Banjar Village Administration, the Village Forest Management Institute (LPHD), the Palung Foundation (Yayasan Palung), local residents, and all contributing partners.

“Wildfires are our collective responsibility. Synergy is our primary strength, and water is our decisive weapon on the fireline. That is why we are securing water sources before the flames arrive,” Indra emphasized.

While inspecting the excavation site, Indra received an urgent dispatch reporting an active fire in another sector within Padu Banjar Village. He immediately mobilized with the Kayong KPH rapid-response team to the coordinates to take command of containment operations.

The blaze ignited across Other Land Use (Areal Penggunaan Lain or APL) terrain, specifically within community-managed smallholder plantations. Fortunately, the incident was located near a functional ditch holding sufficient water, which enabled suppression crews to mount an immediate attack.

The Padu Banjar Village Head and local residents deployed directly to the fireline alongside the responders. Active community involvement proved vital in accelerating fire containment.

Crews successfully halted the fire's forward spread at approximately two hectares, while the total burned footprint remains under formal field assessment. Initial investigations suggest the blaze was a reignition from an incident that occurred the previous day.

This joint operation illustrates that wildfire management requires proactive measures deployed before fires ignite—anchored in securing reliable water reservoirs, elevating crew readiness, and forging practical operational synergy among forest authorities, village administrations, local residents, the private sector, and security forces.

The Kayong Forest Management Unit affirmed its commitment to maintaining frontline readiness and coordinating closely with regional stakeholders to prevent and suppress wildfires across the landscape.(dan)

Editor : Miftakhair

Artikel taken from: Pontianak Post