Prabowo prioritizes wildfire suppression at Tanjung Puting

President Prabowo Subianto ordered forest and land fire suppression to be prioritized at Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting, Kalimantan Tengah, during a limited meeting at the Istana on Monday. The area is under special watch as the world’s largest orangutan conservation and rehabilitation center. On the ground, the Ministry of Forestry has requested water bombing support since September 9, and aerial operations ran on September 20-22 before being requested again on October 2 and 9 for Kotawaringin Barat, Seruyan, and Pos Tanjung Harapan. But thick haze has reduced visibility, preventing helicopters from flying freely. Kotawaringin Barat regent Nurhidayah has also sought central government help because the smoke has affected health, public services and the economy, and has caused flight cancellations at Iskandar Airport.