TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Governor of West Kalimantan Sutarmidji said that 5,786.73 hectares of land in West Kalimantan were burned in a forest fire until July 30, 2023. The governor hoped the forest fire could be contained since it could affect locals' activities.

"We hope that the forest fire will not expand and disrupt the activities of residents in the surrounding area. Therefore, we need all parties to anticipate and deal with the fire," said Sutarmidji in Pontianak on Thursday, August 3, 2023.

According to Sutarmidji, the dry season is quite long from July to October. Thus, referring to Regional Regulation No, 1 of 2022, land clearing needs to be supervised by the authorized parties to avoid forest fire and smog. Further, to anticipate, prevent, and manage the forest fire, Sutarmidji added, intense coordination between all stakeholders is necessary.

West Kalimantan Governor instructed stakeholders in villages and sub-districts to increase the intensity of forest fire mitigation dissemination and smog warning toward the locals.

"Everyone needs to be informed about the forest fire alert. Further, we ask all firefighters, disaster response officers, and Manggala Agni to stay vigilant and ensure all instruments are at the ready," he said.

Sutarmidji explained that West Kalimantan has 2.8 million hectares of peatlands, 80% of which are lightly damaged while the rest ranges from medium to heavily damaged. "Only 1% (of peatland) are preserved, while 99% of them are damaged. Thus, let's raise awareness and synergizes to stop burning the forest and land," he said.

ANTARA

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