12 Regions In Riau Set Fire And Forest Fire Emergency, Hoping The Impact Can Be Minimized

A number of officers handled forest and land fires in Riau. BETWEEN/FB Anggoro

JAKARTA - A total of 12 regencies/cities in Riau Province have established an emergency status for forest and land fires (Karhutla) to strengthen preparedness and accelerate responses in handling events.

Head of the Riau Regional Disaster Management and Fire Department, M Edy Afrizal, said that previously there were only 10 regencies/cities that had declared an emergency alert status for forest and land fires. Two areas have not, namely Pekanbaru City and Rokan Hilir Regency.

"But now everyone has set the same status," he said in Pekanbaru, Tuesday, June 17, as reported by Antara.

He said that the determination of the emergency alert status was part of an anticipatory strategy so that the handling of forest and land fires could be carried out quickly and coordinated, before a greater impact occurred.

This includes strengthening coordination, mobility of resources, logistics, and budgets, as well as ensuring the readiness of equipment, equipment and personnel.

"With this status, sending personnel, logistics, and technical support can be done faster. In addition, coordination between agencies, such as BPBD, TNI, Polri, to companies that own land, can also be carried out more effectively," he said.

His party also emphasized that this preparedness helped accelerate the distribution of aid, especially for people affected by smoke due to forest and land fires.

"With better readiness, it is hoped that the negative impact of forest and land fires on the environment, public health, and the economy can be minimized," he said.

This alert status is also a follow-up to the circular and instructions from the central government regarding the prevention of forest and land fires, as well as encouraging illegal supervision and enforcement of land fires.

"This step must be accompanied by strict supervision and firm legal action against land burners. Because this is not only a matter of the environment, but also concerns the safety of the community," he said.