Jokowi Instructs BNPB to Mitigate Haze Disaster
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Jumat, 4 September 2015 21:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Syamsul Maarif said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had asked his institution and relevant ministries to immediately addressed haze disasters that took place in Sumatera and Kalimantan.
"The president is really concerned with forest and land fires. He will visit Riau in the near future. It could be tomorrow or the day after tomorroww," Syamsul said at the Presidential palace on Friday, September 4, 2015.
Syamsul revealed that Jokowi has issued four instructions related to the disaster mitigation. First, Syamsul explained, the Indonesian Military would conduct water bombing to fight forest fires. Second, law enforcers, led by the National Police chief, will collaborate with investigators from the Environment and the Forestry Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry.
Syamsul added that the third instruction was related to the effort to address health issues caused by haze, such as cases of acute respiratory problems (ISPA).
"The Health Ministry has been instructed to coordinate eight haze disaster outposts. So the main task is to activate the outposts," he said.
The fourth instruction, Syamsul explained, was the dissemination of information related to haze and its impacts on health.
Syamsul revealed that Jokowi has set a target that the haze disasters would be completely addressed by November 2015.
"The point is that we must immediately take actions. The number of hot spots in Sumatera
and Kalimantan has reached 362 and 305 [location], respectively," he concluded.
REZA ADITYA