Six Provinces Vulnerable to Forest Fires, Land and Air Task Forces Dispatched

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. ((Photo: Presidential Secretariat Press, Media, and Information Bureau)

JAKARTA - The government has activated a land and air task force to face the threat of forest and land fires when El Nino is intertwined with the dry season. Six provinces are of concern because they often appear as fire points.

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) said the region includes Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.

"In a number of provinces, hotspots or fire points often appear that must be anticipated immediately," said AHY after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 28.

The threat does not only appear in peatland, but also in non-gambut areas. The government has asked for monitoring to be tightened so that the fire can be handled before it develops into a large fire.

In addition to land and air task forces, the government will use weather modification operations. The map of vulnerable areas is continuously updated by BMKG and BNPB as the basis for the placement of personnel and equipment.

AHY said the President gave tactical directions to ministries, institutions, the TNI, the National Police, and local governments to prepare anticipatory steps.

Preparedness is also needed at the provincial and district/city levels. Local governments are asked to follow up on the latest information regarding the development of El Nino and the potential for fires in their respective regions.