Speaking at a preparedness routine for equipment, supplies, and personnel for wildfires in South Sumatra, here on Tuesday, he said that the province spans 8.7 million hectares, with peatlands covering 2.1 million hectares, or nearly 23 percent of its total area.
According to the minister, controlling peatland fires requires serious effort.
“Therefore, prevention is far more effective than handling once a fire has already occurred. Currently, the condition of the peatlands is relatively stable, and we need to maintain that,” he said.
He added that innovative firefighting measures will continue, including for weather modification operations to reduce the potential for wildfires in the province.
“We have prepared three water bombing helicopters for South Sumatra, so that extinguishing efforts can be carried out not only on land but also in hard-to-reach areas,” he explained.
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According to Nurofiq, South Sumatra is among the 10 provinces considered vulnerable to forest and land fires. The region has recorded 98 incidents of wildfires, covering more than 43 hectares.
“These fires only happen if someone sets them. We have also asked the commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Regional Police chief to take firm action against those responsible for land burning,” he said.
Meanwhile, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto, said that efforts to control forest and land fires in South Sumatra have included weather modification operations and deployment of helicopters for water bombing and patrols.
Governor of South Sumatra, Herman Deru, said that the province is targeting zero haze this year.
“The most important protection is the health of our citizens. We have an Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) screen in the city center. We are among the lowest because of the humid dry season,” he added.
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Translator: Ahmad, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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