East Java Provincial Government Assesmen Pemulihan Gunung Lawu Paska-karhutla

Smoke from the forest and burned land on Mount Lawu can be seen from Karanggubito, Kendal, Ngawi, East Java, Monday (2/10/2023). (ANTARA PHOTO/Siswowidodo/tom)

Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated that the East Java Provincial Government assessed the "recovery" or plant recovery in Gunung Lawu after forest and land fires (karhutla) occurred in the local area.

"In the future, after the Gunung Lawu forest and land fires are resolved, efforts will be carried out which are likely to be carried out by 'aeroseeding'. However, the East Java Provincial Government will conduct an assessment first," said Governor Khofifah while reviewing the Gunung Lawu Forest and Land Fire Emergency Response Command Post (Karhutla) at the Ngiliran Village office, Panekan District, Magetan Regency, East Java, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10.

According to him, the assessment will involve all stakeholders in handling the forest and land fires disaster on Mount Lawu. Starting from BNPB, BDBD, East Java Provincial Government, Perum Perhutani, and other institutions.

The assessment is important so that the process of forest recovery and biodiversity in the local area is the same or similar as before the fire broke out.

"So this assessment is to determine which points require what plants are in accordance with regional topography, soil topography, and the region so that after that we can sow seeds from the air," he said.

Khofifah said that it is possible for aeroseeding to be carried out considering the condition of Mount Lawu, which has a certain level of walking, so that certain techniques are needed to be able to re-grow the habitats in mountainous areas.

"These efforts are for the carrying capacity of our nature and environment which we must continue to maximize and maintain," he added.

KPH Lawu Ds administrator Agus Ahmad Fadholi said that until the 11th day, efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in Gunung Lawu were still being carried out in three areas even though they had decreased a lot. The three areas are Magetan, Ngawi, and Karanganyar Regencies, Central Java.

"The area of land and forests affected by the fire has so far reached 2,041 hectares, which are protected forests. Extinguishing efforts are still being carried out," said Agus Ahmad Fadholi.

To extinguish the ground effort, another search was carried out in the alignment routes that have been made by around 150 joint personnel. Where if hotspots are found, we can extinguish them. In addition, the blackout by air with "water bombing" is also still carried out alternately in the three areas.

"Water bombing, until Tuesday afternoon is still being carried out to serve three districts. So we have to share with the Ngawi, Magetan, and Karanganyar areas with an average of about 25 to 26 water bombings," he said.

Responding to the assessment process, Agus Ahmad Fadholi stated that his party would deploy four teams to conduct field reviews to accurately determine mapping and measurements.