Alhamdulillah, Mahfud MD Called Karhutla In 2020 Down To 81 Percent

Ilustrasi foto (Mikhail Serdyukov / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said, forest and land fires (karhutla) in 2020 dropped drastically to reach 81 percent.

This was conveyed when he was a speaker at the 2021 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB).

"In 2020, Alhamdulillah, the forest and land fires have decreased by 81 percent. From what happened in 2019, 1,649,258 hectares, this year there are only 296,942 hectares. It's very far," Mahfud said in an activity broadcast online on YouTube BNPB, Friday. , March 5.

The decline in the number of forest and land fires made him ask all parties to take part in protecting them. Moreover, so far the government has been committed to tackling this forest and land fire disaster.

Furthermore, the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) explained that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had issued Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 3 of 2020 to tackle forest and land fires.

Through this instruction, Mahfud then reminded President Jokowi to ask all levels of government to try to tackle forest and land fires in the country, including taking precautions.

"Yesterday the president also emphasized again, it should be prevented. No matter how small it is. As soon as it appears, it will be resolved immediately before it spreads. Before it appears it is prevented if there are areas prone to forest and land fires," he said.

"So the most important thing is prevention. Well, one form of prevention is like what has been done by BNPB, TNI and Polri, as well as KLHK and all of us with water bombs from the air. In addition to preventing it, it is also overcoming it, which is already getting bigger," Mahfud added.

Previously, President Jokowi had asked the regional government from governors, regents, mayors and their staff to respond quickly to forest and land fires (karhutla).

A quick response is important so that a small fire that can actually be overcome does not become bigger and difficult to control.

"Don't let the fire get bigger, don't be late so it will be difficult to control. This is important. Don't let the fire get bigger," Jokowi said while giving a briefing at the National Forestry and Land and Forestry Control Coordination Meeting at the State Palace broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Monday, February 22.

He considered, forest and land fires actually needed to be responded quickly so that small fires did not get bigger and had to be extinguished using the water bombing method. Because, this method requires a large budget.

"Small fire flush finished. If needed, then water bombing and this has been done often but if possible, not. Small flush to death, because water bombing requires a large budget,"

"But if we want it or not, we want to use it," said Jokowi.