Indonesia Highlights: Ferry Sinks in Waters off Papua, All Passengers Accounted For | SAR Team in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Rescue Climber From Volcano | BPPT Spreads 23 Tons of Salt Over the Sunda Str

Mount Marapi is one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes, and last erupted in 2017 in an eruption that featured bursts of volcanic activity 19 times. The 2,819 meter mountain has been a draw for mountaineers and climbers throughout Indonesia, despite its potential dangers.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/02/022640274/sar-team-in-west-sumatra-indonesia-rescue-climber-from-volcano. 

BPPT Spreads 23 Tons of Salt Over the Sunda Straits to Prevent Floods in Jakarta

The Agency for the Application and Assessment of Technology or BPPT has spread more than 23 tons or 23,600 kilograms of salt over the Sunda Straits to cause rain to fall over the area instead of over Jakarta.

The exercise is BPPT’s efforts at weather modification, namely to keep the waters from causing a devastating flood that inundated Jakarta and the surrounding areas.

“The salt was dropped over the Sunda Straits and nearby areas such as Lampung [province] and the Ujung Kulon National Park on the southern coast of Banten,” said BPPT Weather Modification expert Jon Arifian on Monday.

“The operation to minimize rainfall is perhaps the last of its kind, as the BMKG [Meteorological and Climatology Agency] reported no build-up of rain clouds or other extreme weather.”

The BPPT have been carrying out the operation since February 21, following BMKG reports of extreme weather over Jakarta, West Java and Banten, at the end of February. The floods in Jakarta displaced over 1,380 people from their homes.

The weather modification operation is a joint initiative between the BMKG, BPPT, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The Indonesian Air Force provided logistical support for the operation, as its planes were used to spread salt to divert the rains from Jakarta.

Source:

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/03/01/20080871/236-ton-garam-sudah-ditebar-di-atas-selat-sunda-demi-cegah-banjir-di.