BNPB Chief Reports to Prabowo: No Hotspots in Riau, Increase in South Sumatra-Jambi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Kristomei Sianturi, reported to President Prabowo Subianto that there are currently no hotspots causing forest and land fires (karhutla) in Riau.

Kristomei noted that as a result, five provinces are still the primary focus for addressing karhutla in Indonesia.

"Today, we have seen a decrease in several areas among the five priority provinces, down from six. We have removed Riau from the list since there have been no new hotspots. Therefore, the current five priority provinces are Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Jambi, and West Kalimantan," Kristomei stated during a closed session of the Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (21/10/2026).

However, Kristomei also reported that the number of hotspots in Jambi and South Sumatra has actually increased.

The lieutenant general in the Indonesian National Armed Forces claimed that the rise in hotspots in these two provinces is not significant.

"We continue to coordinate with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Yesterday, together with the Army Chief of Staff, the BMKG chairman, and the National Disaster Management Agency, we visited South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan to directly observe how the karhutla handling operations are being conducted on the ground," he explained.

Regarding the seeding of dry ice in the karhutla areas, Kristomei mentioned that since October 20, 2026, they have dispersed 3,900 kg using five sorties.

"In South Sumatra, 800 kg were dispersed in one sortie, Sir. This resulted in a decrease in PM, with PM 2.5 levels dropping. Visibility in Palembang improved from 700 meters to 7,000 meters," Kristomei added.

Meanwhile, Kristomei noted that the community supports the establishment of the Territorial Development Battalion, which greatly assists in handling karhutla.

"We would like to thank you, Sir, for the dedication of the TNI-Polri soldiers, Manggala Agni, and the Community Care for Fire members on the ground; they are working tirelessly. Reports from several local governments confirm that the territorial development battalion has been of great help, as they can be quickly and effectively deployed in the field," he said.