Efforts to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) in the\nKalimantan region are still ongoing. President Prabowo Subianto has\nissued direct instructions regarding the handling of the fires.<\/p>\n
Prabowo travelled directly to Kalimantan to review the handling of\nkarhutla on Saturday (22\/8). Upon arriving at the Air Task Force Post,\nSupadio Air Base, West Kalimantan, Prabowo immediately led a limited\nmeeting on karhutla handling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, ladies and gentlemen. I have come to see the real\nsituation on the ground,\u201d Prabowo said, opening the meeting.<\/p>\n
Prabowo then asked regional officials to report on the latest\nsituation in handling the fires. \u201cNow I ask who can give me a\npresentation on the situation?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Expert Staff to the Head of BNPB, retired Brigadier General Asrianus\nBulo, then provided a report. He said that based on satellite data from\nthe last 24 hours, there were 198 hotspots with a high confidence\nlevel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that with a high level of confidence, there are hotspots\nand smoke occurring in the West Kalimantan region,\u201d said Asrianus\nBulo.<\/p>\n
He also mentioned that there were 3,100 hotspots with a medium\nconfidence level and 406 hotspots with a low confidence level.<\/p>\n
After leading the limited meeting, Prabowo then inspected one of the\nkarhutla points on Jalan A Yani III, Limbung Village, Sungai Raya, Kubu\nRaya, West Kalimantan. Accompanied by a number of ministers, Prabowo\nwent directly to the fire site.<\/p>\n
Upon getting out of the car, Prabowo, wearing a cream safari shirt\nand a dark blue cap, went straight to one of the fire points. Prabowo\nappeared not to be wearing a mask during the inspection.<\/p>\n
Accompanying Prabowo on the inspection were Minister of State\nSecretary Prasetyo Hadi, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, National\nPolice Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and TNI Commander General\nAgus Subiyanto. They also appeared not to be wearing masks.<\/p>\n
During the inspection, Prabowo observed the site while receiving\nreports from local officials. Meanwhile, a number of officers at the\nlocation appeared to be holding hoses and carrying out extinguishing\nefforts.<\/p>\n
In the inspection area, thin smoke or haze appeared to blanket the\narea, limiting visibility towards the back of the location. Access to\nthe site appeared to be a peat soil path over a dry ditch.<\/p>\n
Prabowo walked along the burned land. He observed up close the\ncondition of the affected area and the fire handling process being\ncarried out by joint officers.<\/p>\n
During the inspection, Prabowo also gave instructions to the\naccompanying ministers and relevant officials. Prabowo emphasised the\nimportance of handling karhutla quickly and in a coordinated manner so\nthat the fires could be brought under control immediately and not spread\nto other areas.<\/p>\n
Prabowo also approached and greeted the officers who were carrying\nout extinguishing efforts. In addition to interacting with the officers,\nPrabowo also greeted a number of residents around the location.<\/p>\n
By going directly to the fire site, Prabowo wanted to ensure that the\ndirectives and strategies for handling karhutla could be implemented\neffectively in the field. The government is also continuing to deploy\nvarious efforts to accelerate extinguishing while preventing the spread\nof forest and land fires in Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya revealed President Prabowo\nSubianto\u2019s instruction that forest and peatland fires (karhutla) be\nhandled quickly and optimally. Teddy said Prabowo requested firm action\nif legal violations were found.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President has instructed that karhutla handling be carried out\nas quickly and optimally as possible so that the public can resume\nnormal activities,\u201d Teddy said in his written statement on Saturday\n(22\/8).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President also requested that any legal violations found be\ndealt with firmly in accordance with applicable regulations,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
While leading the limited meeting, Prabowo emphasised the importance\nof rapid handling. However, it must remain coordinated and direct on the\nground.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President also stressed that regional governments be firm in\nimplementing regulations in their areas, while strengthening prevention\nmeasures so that forest and land fires do not continue to recur,\u201d Teddy\nsaid in his statement on Saturday (22\/8).<\/p>\n
Teddy detailed a number of handling measures prepared to address\nkarhutla quickly. One of them is the addition of three TNI battalions\nfrom outside Kalimantan, which will be brought in gradually.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe addition of three TNI battalions, or around 1,500 personnel,\nfrom outside Kalimantan, who will be brought in starting today until\nSunday morning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Teddy said the government is also deploying ground personnel to\nextinguish hotspots, as well as adding six water-bombing helicopters\nthat will arrive this afternoon.<\/p>\n
The government will also increase weather modification operations\n(OMC) to support karhutla handling, taking into account the potential\nfor rain expected in West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreasing and adding pumping equipment and water drilling rigs,\nespecially on peatlands, to suppress underground hotspots,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowo-issues-directives-on-forest-and-land-fires-during-on-site-inspection-in-kalimantan-1787446262", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }