East Java Sets Up Special Team to Cope with Forest Fires
18 September 2016 16:48 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of East Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Sudarmawan said that the agency is staying alert against drought and forest fires during the dry season in the province.
Forest fires usually occur in areas that have dense forests such as Situbondo, Ngawi, and Madiun, he said.
"If a forest fire happens, we should extinguish it quickly," he said on Saturday.
Sudarmawan added, the East Java provincial government has also established a Forest and Peat Land Fire Control Brigade, whose members are joint personnel of Perhutani (state-owned forestry firm), Forest Police, Police, Army, Forestry AGency and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
"The brigade is tasked to handle forest fires together," he said.
He added that the brigade works with local residents in the process of extinguishing forest fires.
Meanwhile, to cope with drought, East Java BPBD has also mapped the areas that could potentially suffer from drought, for example, Pasuruan, Lumajang, Situbondo, Bangkalan and Sumenep.
"We will supply clean water to drought-stricken areas," he said.
As in 2015, East Java BPBD has disbursed Rp 4 billion to supply water in drought-stricken areas and until October 2015, as many as 26 areas were hit by drought.
EDWIN FAJERIAL
