Tessa Antara 4 Jun 18;
Palembang, S Sumatra, (ANTARA News) - South Sumatra`s Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is conducting weather modification by dispersing one ton of salt over the clouds every day to prevent forest and field fires ahead of the 2018 Asian Games.
Head of BPBD of South Sumatra Iriansyah stated here on Monday that since mid-May, they had continued to disperse one ton of salt on an average.
Salt is dispersed over the clouds in the sky to create potential rain clouds that are more effective, he stated.
Furthermore, this step is part of the precautionary measures against forest and garden fires.
Iriansyah could not specify the exact quantity of salt used for conducting cloud seeding, though it is about a ton per operation.
Dispersing salt is at times conducted twice a day, so that the amount cannot be calculated in detail.
Iriansyah highlighted the importance of using salt to conduct cloud seeding to produce rain, so that the forest and land become wet, and fires at hotspots could quickly be put out.
Indeed, the agency is currently maximizing efforts to prevent forest, garden, and land fires since in August, South Sumatra will receive thousands of guests, who will attend an international sporting event.
Moreover, Governor of South Sumatra Alex Noerdin has stated that there was no smoke haze as what had occurred in 2015, so the fire must be prevented early on.
However, these efforts are inseparable from the participation of all parties, including communities around the fire-prone areas, he added.
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
