"We have been on standby in the areas that we believe can be potentially hit by land and forest fires," Dumai District Military Commander Lt. Col Horas Sitinjak said here on Thursday when questioned about the task force`s efforts to prevent the 18th Asian Games from being affected by haze.
The sub districts that the Dumai Land and Forest Fire Task Force assessed as disaster-prone areas were Dumai Barat, Dumai Timur, Dumai Selatan, Bukit Kapur, Medang Kampai, and Sungai Sembilan, he said.
The joint-task force`s personnel consist of local military, police, Manggala Agni Fire Brigade, and the disaster mitigation agency, he said, adding that they have been conducting a routine patrol and public awareness campaign in the targeted areas.
Dumai is one of the cities in Riau Province.
In connection with the 18th Asian Games, due to be held in Jakarta and Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatra Province, from August 18 to September 2, the Indonesian Government expects that Asia`s largest multi-sports event will not be disrupted by the haze.
Indonesia will host the Asian Games for the second time this year, after Jakarta was selected as the venue for the Asian sporting event for the first time in 1962. By virtue of its hosting of the 2018 games, the country aims to secure a place among the top ten largest sporting events.
The games will be attended by 45 countries, and will feature 462 events across 40 sports, of which 32 are Olympic sports and eight are non-Olympic events.
The Olympic sports are Aquatics, Athletics, Fencing, Weightlifting, Basketball, Handball, Badminton, Baseball/Softball, Cycling, Equestrian, Golf, Wrestling, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Canoeing and Kayaking, Sailing, Shooting, Modern Pentathlon, Archery, Sport Climbing, Rowing, Rugby, Gymnastics, Roller Skating, Football, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Boxing, Triathlon, and Volleyball.
The non-Olympic sports are Bowling, Bridge, Cricket, Kabaddi, Martial Arts (including Jujitsu, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Sambo, and Wushu), Mechanical Sports (such as Paragliding and Jet skiing), Squash, and Sepak Takraw.
Indonesia has set a target of entering the biggest 10 in the event by collecting a minimum of 16 gold medals.
Reporting by Abdul Razak
Editing by Rahmad Nasution, Bustanuddin
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
