In Addition to OMC, State Secretary: Ground Troops Including Volunteers Continue to Tackle Karhutla

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated that the government is deploying all efforts to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla), including through weather modification operations (OMC).

In addition to OMC, the government is also deploying ground and aerial firefighting teams. Moreover, many volunteers are actively involved in combating the karhutla.

"Ground forces, including volunteers, are working tirelessly," Prasetyo told reporters on Tuesday (20/10/2026).

Besides ground units, aerial firefighting efforts are ongoing, including OMC utilizing dry ice.

According to him, these efforts have also resulted in rainfall in several regions.

"We are now trying to use dry ice to disperse the smoke so that sunlight can penetrate slightly, acting as a catalyst for cloud seed formation, and then we hit it with OMC NaCl. Thank goodness, some districts have started reporting rainfall," he explained.

The government is also deploying various equipment to accelerate the firefighting process.

"All aerial equipment has been mobilized, even though the characteristics of peat differ from mineral soil," he stated.

Additionally, law enforcement continues against parties responsible for karhutla.

Moreover, the government is imposing sanctions such as revoking permits from concession holders.

"Law enforcement actions include the most severe sanctions, including permit revocation," he said.

He emphasized that all parties are doing their utmost to tackle the karhutla.

On another note, the government is also strengthening education for the public regarding karhutla.

"Continuous education is necessary, as the main factor for these fires is human involvement," he added.