Photo: Ensuring firefighting readiness is part of TSE Group’s initiatives to prevent the increase in fire risks from extreme drought in South Papua
BOVEN DIGOEL – After more than four months of El Niño, South Papua has now been left vulnerable to extreme drought of unprecedented scale in a decade.
Strong winds and parched vegetation have upended the ecological balance, putting the region on red alert for wildfire risks.
This situation has pushed TSE Group to strengthen fire prevention measures since the start of the dry season last May. Its sustainability and human resources teams, along with an internal OSH committee (P2K3), have been working together to inform employees and local communities about fire-related regulations and actions to prevent fire incidents.
The company’s firefighting personnel and equipment have also been on standby around the clock.
“Our firefighting team is doing 24-hour patrols in HGU areas to ensure potential fires are immediately detected, and [if they have] spread, [they] can be contained. Recently, fire spots outside our HGU areas spread into plantation grounds. We quickly took action to keep them from expanding,” said Arnol Tahir, the assistant manager of TSE Group’s firefighting team.
In doing this, they prioritized their commitment to people’s safety. Ground personnel and fire vehicles were swiftly deployed to extinguish fires approaching nearby settlements outside concession boundaries.
“The company’s firefighting team has been a great help. They’re always ready, arriving early [to put out] fires before they get bigger. Had it not been for their action, the fires might have increased in scale and harmed residents,” said Jhon Doi, a member of Naga Village (Jair District, Boven Digoel) who lives near the Trans-Papua Highway.
Despite this, TSE Group’s capabilities are limited — the company can only do so much amid the severe conditions. Given these circumstances, its management is calling for collaborations with local governments and government agencies. TSE Group is also encouraging everyone to monitor mitigation initiatives and quell baseless speculation while focusing on safety and environmental sustainability in South Papua. (PR)
