"I appreciate the handling of forest and land fires in West Kalimantan. But the efforts should not stop at this point. The system to put out fires should continue to be improved; for example, the hotspot information system should continue to be upgraded," the minister said here on Monday.
She remarked that, in general, the strategy to handle forest and land fires, as outlined by President Joko Widodo, basically involves the steps on how to prevent fires.
"This should be carried out through law enforcement and sustainable land management, especially peatlands," she added.
The system should be improved in future. The forest and land fire handling management system, through task forces (satgas), has been running well in West Kalimantan.
The minister acknowledged that earlier it was difficult to get information on hotspots in the fields, but now, it is relatively easy because officers are equipped with android tablets.
"Now, we also requested the local people to provide information through SMS messages. We are still improving this system, so that we can obtain feedback from residents," the minister noted.
She remarked that the impact of forest and land fires would be worse and prolonged if it takes place on peatlands, considering that the results of the study to extinguish 1 square meter of peatland needed 900 liters of water.
"The acreage of peatlands in West Kalimantan reaches almost 12 percent of the province`s areas. The handling and prevention of forest and land fires, especially in these peatlands, should be a serious concern for all parties in the province, as it is impossible for put out the fire with the traditional extinguishing efforts," she explained.
Currently, the West Kalimantan province has entered the dry season, which has always been identical to the development of massive land burning activity.
Reported by Rendra Octora
Pewarta: -Editor : Teguh Imam Wibowo
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