Anticipating Forest Fires, Central Kalimantan Provincial Government Budgets IDR 100 Billion

Illustration of forest fires (ANTARA)

PALANGKARAYA - The Central Kalimantan Provincial Government has budgeted Rp 100 billion related to handling forest and land fires (karhutla) and flood disasters that have been able to threaten the local area so far. Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran said that in handling forest and land fires and flood disasters, of course the most important thing to provide is the budget. "If the budget is already available, then the handling will also be effective. For 2023, the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government has budgeted Rp100 billion for two handling of forest and land fires and floods," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, March 15. He said that in 2023 around May to July the hot weather is predicted to be very hot. Therefore in that month the provincial and district/city governments will really pay attention to the dangers of forest and land fires. Not only that, he said, Central Kalimantan Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) will also be involved in handling forest and land fires and floods in the event of occurrence. "For Central Kalimantan Police and Korem 102 Panju Panjung prepared its members as well as all infrastructure (sarpras) to support prevention so that the disaster does not occur this year," he said. Governor stated that for vulnerable locations and became forest and land fires subscriptions are in a number of areas, namely first Palangka Raya City, East Kotawaringin Regency, West Kotawaringin, Katingan, Kapuas and Pulang Pisau. In the budgeting, of course, Central Kaliman is the highest budgeting compared to several other provinces whose areas are also frequent forest and land fires. "We have the largest budget related to handling of forest and flooding in 2023 compared to several other provinces that have the same problems," he said.

The governor stated that regional heads in the local province must also budget for these funds so that when there is forest and land fires or regional flooding, they are not confused in tackling or handling them. "There are no more officers in the field assigned to handle forest and land fires and flood disasters, they admit that the handling carried out is constrained by the budget on the pretext that vehicles cannot run because there is no gas budget and so on," said Sugianto Sabran.