West Kalimantan Governor: Do not burn land for now to prevent forest fires from spreading
Pontianak (ANTARA) - West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan has stressed that the public must not clear or burn land during the dry season to prevent forest and land fires (karhutla) from spreading further.
“The weather is currently very hot, so do not burn land for now. In accordance with Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022, before any burning is carried out, firebreaks must be created first and the land must not be left before the fire is completely extinguished,” said Governor Ria Norsan after inspecting a fire site together with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni in Rasau Jaya Tiga Village, Rasau Jaya District, Kubu Raya Regency, on Monday.
Norsan then attended a coordination meeting on forest and land fire handling at the Manggala Agni Operations Office, attended by the West Kalimantan Regional Leadership Coordination Forum, the Kubu Raya Regency Government, BNPB, BPBD, the military and police, Manggala Agni, the Indonesian Red Cross, fire brigades, and Fire Care Communities.
He stressed that controlling forest and land fires requires intensive coordination from the central government down to the village level, including integrated patrols, data exchange, field verification, and extinguishing fires as early as possible.
Norsan also urged land-based companies to fulfil their obligations by preparing human resources and firefighting equipment, safeguarding their concessions, managing peatland water systems, and assisting in fire handling around their operational areas in accordance with regulations.
He assessed that forest and land fires are not a sectoral issue because their impacts can disrupt health, education, the economy, transportation, social life, and damage peatland ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said his visit to West Kalimantan was a directive from President Prabowo Subianto to ensure that central government instructions regarding forest and land fire handling are being implemented in the regions.
Based on data as of the evening of 23 August, the number of hotspots in West Kalimantan had fallen to 28 points. However, Minister Raja Juli reminded that the number of hotspots is not always directly proportional to smoke conditions because fires in peatland can occur below the surface.
“Peat is indeed the most difficult to extinguish because the fire can be below the surface and its smoke production is extraordinary,” he said.
To strengthen handling efforts, the government has deployed seven water bombing helicopters, two patrol helicopters, and one aircraft for Weather Modification Operations. The Ministry of Forestry has also assigned 5,000 civil servants to six provinces, including 700 personnel for West Kalimantan.