The key facts
- 26 water drops were carried out in the areas of the Perlu River and Rengas Bay, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni reported
- Six helicopters in Central Kalimantan are not operating due to limited visibility at Tjilik Riwut airport
- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared readiness to help and proposed an ASEAN cooperation mechanism
Aircraft and Ground Forces Deployed on Sumatra and Kalimantan
Indonesia intensified operations on Monday to extinguish forest and land fires on Sumatra and Kalimantan, using water drops from the air, the state agency Antara reported. According to Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, 26 water drop operations were carried out in the areas of the Perlu River and Rengas Bay. He also noted that six water-bombing helicopters are available in Central Kalimantan but have not yet begun operating due to limited visibility at Tjilik Riwut airport.
Ground Firefighting Reinforced
Sapto Adji Prabowo, the ministry's director of territory protection, said ground firefighting work has been intensified; there are sufficient stocks of pumps, floating and portable pumps, mini units and hoses.
Priority — Tanjung Puting National Park
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto earlier ordered prioritizing firefighting in Tanjung Puting National Park, and then in other affected areas of the province and in South Sumatra. Tanjung Puting is the world's largest orangutan conservation and rehabilitation center.
Malaysia Offers Assistance and an ASEAN Mechanism
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated, according to the state agency Bernama, that Kuala Lumpur is ready to help Indonesia fight the fires that have caused transboundary haze. Malaysia has also proposed an ASEAN cooperation mechanism to strengthen joint efforts against forest and land fires. Anwar acknowledged Indonesia's efforts, including the deployment of tens of thousands of personnel and various aviation assets.
