Cabinet Secretary Explains the Governments Measures to Overcome Forest Fire
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung and Minister of State Secretary Pratikno as well as a number of high-ranking officials attend a joint meeting of the commissions of Indonesian House of Representatives, on Tuesday (13/10).
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung affirmed that the Government has taken a number of measures to overcome land and forest fires which cause smog disaster in some Indonesian areas.
In a joint meeting at the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI), on Tuesday (13/10), Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung who attended the meeting with the Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, with representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, with representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and with the Head of National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) Willem Rampangiley, explained the measures taken by the Government, such as: a. To establish smokes emergency response posts in six provinces (Riau, Jambi, South Sumatera, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan), and b. To conduct water management operation.
According to Pramono, the water management operation shall include:
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in Riau Province: to close 21 units of canals at some parts of Siak Kecil area by Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) of Riau and to build 45 units of canals in Riau;
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in Jambi Province: to provide 10 units of pumps by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and to make canal blocking in three locations, namely Manis Mato village, Sei Cemara village, and Betara village (at the moment, the canal blocking is being worked on the dykes of Taman Kumpeh);
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in South Kalimantan Province: to make main drain, coection drain, retention basin, entrenchment of retention basin, under bridge waterway, and dam;
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in South Kalimantan Province: to make canal blocking in Gundung Payung Village, Landasan Ulin District, to carry out water pipe normalization, and to make retention basin around Syamsudin Noor airport.
The fire is also extinguished by using two helicopters from Singapore, Pramono said.
At the joint meeting led by Lukan Edy from Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (the National Awakening Party) Fraction, Pramono Anung also explained that other measures have been taken, such as weather modification as well asto mobilize the forces of TNI/Polri to help to extinguish the fire and to patrol the area.
Moreover, each province also mobilizes their local resource such as Manggala Agni, TNI/Polri, Regional Agency for Disaster Management, fire fighters of regencies/cities, fire care community, independent, regencies/cities, and private fire fighters, as well as the community, Pramono stated.
Life Insurance Provision
Pramono Anung also stated that there is a proposal from the Minister of Social Affairs to the Minister of Finance to give cash assistance as life insurance for underprivileged people (the holder of Prosperous Family Card/KKS). The total of the budget is Rp 1.4 trillion.
The calculation of the budget is Rp 10,000/family for 90 days x 1,600,000 families in accordance with Minister of Social Affairs Regulation Number 4 of 2015 on Direct Cash Assistance for Disaster Victims, Pramono said.
Cabinet Secretary also conveyed that President Joko Widodo has visited some regions that suffer from forest and land fires. On 6 September 2015, the President visited South Sumatera; on 23 September 2015, the President went to South Kalimantan, on 24 September 2015, the President visited Central Kalimantan; and on 8 October 2015, the President visited Riau and West Sumatera.
Regarding the issue of increasing the disaster status to national disaster, Pramono Anung explained that the declaration of national disaster has only been issued once, that is when tsunami hit Aceh. However, Pramono assured that although the Government has not declared forest and land fires as national disaster, the measures taken is a national action.
Long term handling will be included in the budget to finance this handling, Pramono said. (MMB/YM)/Sy.
