Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Nutrition Agency (Basting) has\nemphasised that it never forces the distribution of the Free Nutritious\nMeal (MBG) programme in areas affected by forest and land fires\n(karhutla).<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are claims that because of the fires, students or parents are\nbeing told to collect the meals. The situation is this: because of the\nfires, schools may be closed, but the announcement often comes after the\nkitchens have already cooked, purchased raw materials, and prepared the\nfood. Therefore, the food must be cooked and collected on that day, even\nif there is no distribution the following day,\u201d said the Head of BGN,\nSudaryono, after a Hearing with Commission IX of the Indonesian House of\nRepresentatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that the distribution of the MBG programme in regions\naffected by forest fires follows announcements from local or provincial\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding the forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, the core point\nis that we follow the announcements from local governments. Whether\nschools are closed or not, we follow their lead. We never force the MBG\nprogramme to proceed if schools are closed due to fires. We defer the\nauthority for senior high schools to the governors, and for primary and\njunior high schools to regents or mayors; if they declare a holiday, the\nMBG programme follows suit,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) continues to\nstrengthen integrated monitoring of the impact of forest and land fires\non economic activities, particularly air transport connectivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ministry of Forestry continues to monitor in an integrated\nmanner the development of hotspots, fire conditions in the field, air\nquality, smoke dispersion, weather, and visibility,\u201d said the Head of\nthe Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation at the\nMinistry of Forestry, Ristiendum Pribadi, when contacted in Jakarta on\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Ristianto stated that this information serves as a basis\nfor the government to determine priority control operations and to\nprovide guidance to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand that smoke disturbances have the potential to affect\ncommunity mobility, economic activities, and flight safety,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Based on the latest monitoring by the Ministry of Forestry, air\nquality and visibility conditions may vary by region and can change\nrelatively quickly, influenced by smoke concentration, wind direction\nand speed, rainfall, and other atmospheric dynamics.<\/p>\n
Ristianto noted that the Ministry of Forestry continues to\ncommunicate developments transparently through official channels and the\nSiPongi system.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpecifically for air travel, we urge the public to follow the latest\ninformation from BMKG, airport authorities, AirNav Indonesia, and\nairlines,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-nutrition-agency-asserts-no-compulsion-for-free-nutritious-meal-programme-in-forest-fire-areas-1788458120", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }