TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives deputy speaker Agus Hermanto said forest fires should be categorized as national disaster. “It should be elevated to national disaster so that there will be special treatment and budget,” he said on Thursday, September 10.
Agus said the government is quite slow in mitigating forest fires and proposed to elevate the status of forest fires to national disaster.
“It must be solved fast. I think the handling of this problem is not optimal,” said Agus.
Forest fires occurring in six provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan have become worse. Several airports have been closed as visibility has decreased to only 300 meters. Satellite data also shows that 80 percent of areas in Sumatra are covered in haze.
Due to fire in Sumatra and Kalimantan, at least 25.6 million people are suffering from smoke. Threats of respiratory disease and smoke have also reached Singapore and the status of air in the country become dangerous.
MAWARDAH NUR HANIFIYANI