Based on the satellite monitoring, the number of hotspots during the January-July 2019 period drastically decreased by 81.65 percent than that during the same period in 2015Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) chaired a meeting at the State Palace here on Tuesday to discuss efforts to combat forest fires.
Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Environmental Affairs and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya, Chief of the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, Chief of the National Police General Tito Karnavian, several governor and local authorities were among the attendees at the meeting.
Wiranto remarked that the government policy was in line with Presidential Instruction No 11 of 2015 on intensification of forest firefighting efforts that has managed to reduce the number of hotspots from year to year.
"Based on satellite monitoring, the number of hotspots during the January-July 2019 period drastically decreased by 81.65 percent than that during the same period in 2015," Wiranto stated.
However, the figure rose by 467 hotspots, or 69 percent in comparison with that during the same period in 2018.
Stakeholders realized that taking preventive measures held greater significance than fighting against forest fires, he stated.
The government will tighten regulations and conduct comprehensive coordination in the fight against forest fires.
Related news: Satellites identify 152 hotspots on Sumatra Island
Related news: Haze-induced visibility impairment in Pekanbaru reaches two kilometers
Meanwhile, the Terra and Aqua Satellites, on Tuesday, at 6 a.m. local time, detected 152 hotspots on Sumatra Island, including 75 in Riau Province, according to the Pekanbaru meteorology, climatology and geophysics station.
"Riau had the largest number of hotspots, reaching 75," Gita Dewi Siregar, an analyst at the station, remarked in Pekanbaru on Tuesday.
Some 10 hotspots were observed in Aceh, seven in Jambi, two in West Sumatra, five in Lampung, 25 in South Sumatra, 18 in North Sumatra, and 10 in Bangka Belitung.
In Riau, 25 hotspots were found in Rokan Hilir District, 17 in Pelalawan, 15 in Indragiiri Hilir, nine in Siak, three in Bengkalis, two in Meranti Islands, three in Kampar, and one each in Dumai and Kauntan Singingi.
Of the total 75 hotspots, 53 were confirmed to be fire spots, with 19 found in Rokan Hilir, 13 in Pelalawan, 12 in Indragiri Hilir, five in Siak, and two each in Kampar and Bengkalis.
Related news: BNPB ready to deploy more helicopters to put out forest fires
Related news: Fire razes hectares of peatland on Pekanbaru's outskirts
Translator: Joko Susilo, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
