Indonesian province declares emergency as forest fires flare
March 8, 2016
ricky l11 seconds ago
Taking proactive actions before it go out of control - will be the best way to control the fire.
Indonesia begins serious efforts to tackle forest fires
Authorities in Riau in western Indonesia have started their fight on forest fires, as the dry season begins to set in.
- By Sujadi Siswo
- Posted 11 Mar 2016 14:11
- Updated 11 Mar 2016 16:49
JAKARTA: Authorities in Riau in western Indonesia have started their fight on forest fires, as the dry season begins to set in.
On Tuesday (Mar 8), the Sumatran province declared a state of emergency over fires spreading rapidly because of strong winds. In just two months, more than 200 hectares of forests there have been razed.
More than 700 personnel from the military, police and forestry ministry have been deployed to put out the fires in Riau.
For the first time, coordinated joint patrols are also being deployed, not only to detect fires but also to educate the population on fire prevention.
"The new initiative from the Forestry and Environment Ministry this year is the coordinated joint-patrols. They consist of personnel from the military, police, fire fighters, community, media and non-governmental organisations,” said Supartono, spokesman for Riau Environment Conservation Agency.
On Monday, the Riau provincial government declared its highest level of disaster readiness since fires were detected in at least three districts two months ago.
It said it has the situation under control except for certain inaccessible areas where water bombing needs to be done.
The Environment and Forestry Ministry said so far 10 people have been questioned for allegedly starting the fires. Often, these are started by plantation companies and smallholders to clear land ahead of the planting season.
Riau was one of the provinces severely affected by forest fires last year, made worse by the prolonged dry season caused by the El Nino weather pattern.
It was considered to be one of the worst environmental disasters in recent years, costing the Indonesian government an estimated US$16 billion.
The haze from the fires choked its neighbors Singapore and Malaysia – and several parts of Thailand – causing schools, offices and airports to shut down for several days.
It also affected the health of hundreds of thousands of people in the region.
Singapore and Malaysia were among dozens of countries that assisted Indonesia in the fire-fighting efforts.
President Joko Widodo has vowed to tackle the problem and his government recently set up an agency to restore some two million hectares of carbon-rich peatland damaged by fires.
- CNA/jb
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