"In addition to various anticipation efforts in the field, today we, together with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and others, are holding a meeting to ensure the readiness of personnel and infrastructure to deal with forest and land fires," Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran informed here on Wednesday.
He also reminded district heads and mayors in Central Kalimantan to increase their preparedness against forest and land fires, especially in the face of the peak of the dry season in the province.
Each region has also been asked to determine the status of forest and land fire handling appropriately so that later, all resources, both personnel and infrastructures, can be deployed optimally.
Commander of the Regional Military Command 102 Panju Panjung, Brigadier General Yudianto Putrajaya, said that given that many parts of Central Kalimantan are peatlands, he has ordered his staff to implement a number of strategies to prevent or overcome forest and land fires.
“First, (they have been asked to) find and extinguish fires in their respective areas," Putrajaya said.
Then, they have been asked to maintain the peat ecosystem, empower the community, enforce the law and disseminate information to the community, as well as carry out patrols and handle forest and land fires in an integrated manner.
Meanwhile, the chief of Central Kalimantan Regional Police, Inspector General Nanang Avianto, informed that the police are continuously monitoring the situation and carrying out training in order to ensure preparedness against forest and land fires.
"We have also made simulations in case of natural disasters. Here, natural disasters that occur such as floods and forest and land fires," Avianto explained.
In addition to the maximum efforts of the government in preventing and handling forest and land fires, the community is also expected to increase awareness and participation in jointly protecting the environment.
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Translator: Muhammad Arif, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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