Minister Of Home Affairs Asks Local Governments To Make Special Regulations For Handling Forest And Land Fires

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto during a meeting at the KLHK office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Thursday (14/3/2024) (ANTARA/Ho- Humas Minister of Home Affairs)

JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian asked all local governments (Pemda) to make special regulations for handling forest and land fires (kaharhutla).

"The local government should make local regulations specifically for dealing with the disaster of kaharhutla. Once again, this is a very important legal basis, programs, budgets," Tito said in a press release while attending a meeting at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Thursday, March 14.

According to Tito, regulations are very important so that every regional head has a legal basis and concept in dealing with koharhutla in each region.

The regulation, continued Tito, can also regulate the handling of cross-sectoral forest and land fires such as cooperating with the TNI and Polri.

"Including the colleagues of the Kapolda, it was stated that there was a need for an emergency response status, then they could carry out operations, and others," he said.

These regulations, Tito continued, need to be seriously prepared so that the implementation must be based on the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD).

According to records from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said the Minister of Home Affairs, only 13 provinces already have regulations from 20 provinces that have the attention of Kaharhutla.

The regulations are in the form of Regional Regulations (Perda), Governor Regulations (Pergub), Governor's Decrees, and Governor's Instructions.

Tito said the regulation also needs to be made by regional heads whose regions are not included in the category of prone to karhutla.

"There are 18 provinces according to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's records that are not Karthutla's attention, but need to be watched out for, because sometimes incidents are also like in East Java. East Java is not the main concern, but if the fire is like yesterday it becomes attention," said Tito.

With efforts to make clear regulations for handling kaharhutla, he hopes that each regional head can be faster in anticipating the fire disaster.