House Member Blames Forestry Ministry for Forest Fires

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) member Bambang Haryo Soekartono has laid his blame to Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) that he deemed failed to prevent land and forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

“I demand KLHK’s responsibility. [The ministry] can be charged for crimes because of its negligence on managing forest and environment which causes smoldering fires,” said Bambang, the House’s member from Gerindra faction, Wednesday, September 18.

Bambang reiterated the ministry allegedly violates the principle of the state’s responsibility towards the environment and can be charged with Article 99(1) of Law No. 32/2009 concerning environmental protection and management.

According to him, the public is terribly suffered from the wildfires. Other than harming the body health, thick smog caused by fires hindered people’s daily activities. Schools are even closed for days.

“Flight schedules have been delayed in many airports. This clearly affects the economy sector. It seems that the fire incident in 2015 has recurred, and the public is now demanding the government’s responsibilities,” Bambang underlined.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo previously declared that the government has taken every effort to handle the land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, starting from direct firefighting, water bombing, to weather modification.

ANTARA