Kotabaru maps prone areas, prevents forest fire

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Acting Regent of Kotabaru H Said Akhmad said mapping of areas prone to forest and land fire to be carried out and coordinating with all related parties in order land burning does not occur.

Just like last year, he hoped that there will be no fires to occur in the district. "Hopefully like last year, we enter the rainy season, so there will be no fires," he said after attending President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) direction on fire handling this year.

President Jokowi has directed regional government heads as well as local military (TNI) and police commanders to deal with forest fires before they can grow and become widespread.

"Don't let the fire get bigger; don't be late (so) that it becomes difficult to control. This is important, don't let the fire get bigger. Don't be too late so it's difficult to control," the President told participants at the National Coordination Meeting for Forest and Land Fire Control in 2021 held in Jakarta on Monday.

The meeting was attended by governors of provinces that are prone to forest and land fires, such as Governor of Riau Syamsuar, Governor of South Sumatra Herman Deru, Governor of West Kalimantan Sutarmadji, and Governor of Central Kalimantan Sugianto Sabran.

The district heads of Siak, Ogan Komering Ilir, Sanggau, and Pulang Pisau also attended the meeting at the palace.

The Kotabaru government followed the meeting through a video conference from Kotabaru. Acting Regent H Said Akhmad, Commander of 1004/Kotabaru Military Command, Commander of Kotabaru Navy Base, police chief, chief of prosecutors office, and heads of government agencies attended.

The President reminded that we are currently facing various problems with floods, landslides, and other disasters in several areas, and we should not be careless. Especially from May to July we will face dry season and must anticipate forest and land fires.

"We must be alert by early anticipate and coordination down to the lower level because 99 percent of forest fires occurred because of negligence. Take advantage of technology to monitor hotspots," said Jokowi.

H Said Akhmad said mapping of prone areas will be conducted and to coordinate with all parties in the hope there will be no burning land here as last year when it entered the rainy season.

Kotabaru Police Chief AKBP Andi Adnan Syafruddin said the prone areas, as they had been mapped, including West Pulau Laut, East Pulau Laut, and Central Pulau Laut, and as instructed by the President coordination with all stakeholders will be made so that community does not burn land.

"We will coordinate will all stakeholders, especially areas prone to fires, so we can educate the public, both individuals and corporations, not to burn land," he said.