Anticipating Swift Action from the New Head of BNPB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The public is eagerly awaiting swift action from the newly appointed Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi, as he leads efforts to combat forest and land fires (karhutla) following his inauguration last week.

In response to this, Kristomei took immediate action by inspecting the effectiveness of fire suppression operations in South Sumatra on Sunday (18/10/2026).

"Today, we move forward to lead the response to karhutla in South Sumatra and other affected areas," Kristomei stated in a press release on Sunday (18/10/2026).

This initiative marks Kristomei's first operational activity since his appointment as the Head of BNPB on Thursday (15/10/2026).

During this activity, Kristomei was also scheduled to lead a coordination meeting with the Regional Task Force, the South Sumatra Provincial Government, the military and police (TNI-Polri), and the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

Key topics discussed in the meeting included monitoring hotspots, assessing the effectiveness of firefighting efforts via land and air, as well as strengthening inter-agency coordination in priority response areas.

Kristomei assured that support for combating karhutla would be tailored to the needs on the ground.

This support could range from technology, personnel, task forces, to weather modification operations.

"If an area needs assistance—whether technology, task forces, weather modification operations (OMC), or other specialized handling—it must be prepared and coordinated optimally," he elaborated.

Kristomei is also scheduled to inspect karhutla locations in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), South Sumatra, using a patrol helicopter.

Road inspections are also planned in the Talang Jambi area.

According to him, on-site checks are essential to understand current conditions and determine necessary emergency response measures.

"The team departing today will directly assess the situation in the field, ensure cross-sector coordination is in place, and take immediate actions needed for emergency handling in South Sumatra," he stated.

Targeting Immediate Action

Kristomei emphasized that BNPB would manage the karhutla response as quickly as possible, given the many residents affected.

"The target is as soon as possible. We cannot wait, as people are already affected, so action must be taken immediately," said Kristomei during an interview at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.