Jakarta, Aug. 21 -- The Indonesian government is stepping up efforts to tackle forest and land fires in Kalimantan by strengthening integrated operations and developing drilled wells.

An official from the Forestry Ministry said the construction of drilled wells is crucial as surface water sources for firefighting become increasingly limited amid prolonged dry conditions.

"Drilled wells are needed to shorten the distance for water extraction, speed up the refueling of firefighting equipment, and maintain the continuity of wetting and cooling," the ministry's Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation, Ristianto Pribadi, said on Friday.

He also highlighted water availability as a key challenge in tackling forest and l...