INDONESIA TO ENSURE HAZE-FREE ASIAN GAMES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Feb 10, 2018 (Antara) - South Sumatra, scheduled to co-host the 18th Asian Games with Jakarta from August 18 to September 2, 2018, has in the past borne witness to forest fires that produced smoke or haze shrouding several cities.

       However, over the past couple of years, the Indonesian authorities have managed to significantly reduce the number of wildfires, particularly on Sumatra Island, thereby preventing the occurrence of haze.

        Despite the success, the Indonesian government remains vigilant and is currently implementing preventive measures to ensure that forest fires will not occur during the implementation of the 18th Asian Games.

          "This year, we host the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. I remind you to not let the smoke from forest and land fires arise during the implementation of the event," President Joko Widodo noted during a briefing to participants of the National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in 2018 at the State Palace in Jakarta on February 6, 2018.

          He pointed out that haze from forest and land fires will tarnish the image of Indonesia and disrupt flights during the Asian Games.

          "We have to work hard to ensure that the Asian Games run smoothly without any disturbance from forest and land fires," he stated.

          Participants at the meeting comprised governors, heads of districts, mayors, commanders of the regional military command, regional police heads, military resort commanders, military district commanders, and resort police heads from areas prone to forest and land fires.

            He expressed hope that early detection and prevention efforts would continue to be undertaken, and all related personnel would always remain on standby to extinguish the fires.

         "We should act promptly when a big fire or even a small one occurs," he emphasized.

         Hence, the president has urged to ensure the readiness and availability of human resources and equipment and also the preparedness of task forces at the provincial, district, sub-district, and village levels.

         "In particular, governors and land managers must ensure that their respective work areas are free from forest and land fires and should prepare facilities, infrastructure, and personnel, as well as involve communities to prevent forest and land fires," he stated.

         The president also called to take strict and indiscriminate law enforcement measures against the perpetrators of forest and land fires.

         Widodo specifically ordered security officers in areas prone to land fires to prevent the disaster from recurring.

         "I will dismiss officers from the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) or Police if I find land fires in their regions," the president emphasized.

          He, however, lauded the TNI and Police officers, who have played crucial roles in the forest fire mitigation task force, for taking precautionary measures against fires in the past two years.

          The number of hotspots across the country has decreased significantly, from 21,929 in 2015 to 3,915 hotspots in 2016 and 2,567 hotspots in 2017.  
    The president expects security officers and local administrations as well as the task force to maintain the achievement and step up efforts in the coming years.

         He has urged the task force to also involve the local communities and plantation companies to prevent land fires.

         "We can undertake effective efforts by involving companies, local communities, and non-governmental organizations as well as police and TNI officers," the president noted.

         The president remarked that leaders of neighboring countries had also lauded the efforts undertaken by Indonesia.

         "Earlier, when I met the prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia, they always complained about the smoke caused by land fires. However, during the 2016-2017 period, they lauded the efforts to reduce land fires," Widodo noted.

         Last January, spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho had also stated that precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the occurrence of forest fires during the 2018 Asian Games.

         Sutopo claimed that precautionary steps need to be taken long before the event, especially in terms of preparing measures to prevent forest and land fires.

        "If fires strike and the smoke engulfs the sports arena, it will be a matter of concern for us. Hence, President Joko Widodo will definitely pay close attention to ensure that the Asian Games 2018 run well," he emphasized.

         South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin has also pledged to make all-out efforts to prevent forest and land fires from occurring in his province.

         "We have remain committed to preventing South Sumatra from being gutted by forest and land fires as was witnessed in 2015 since thousands of foreign guests will arrive to attend the multi-sports events of this year's Asian Games," he had stated on February 7, 2018.

        Furthermore, Forestry and Environmental Affairs Minister Siti Nurbaya has pledged that hotspot monitoring and forest fire prevention measures are being intensified in 2018.

         "We have taken measures. Data in 2017 showed that 68 percent of the fires occurred in production forests and other productive areas, which mean that public access to the forests was high," she pointed out.

          Nurbaya praised the support of the public and business entities in curbing forest fires. 
    "We have taken measures taking into account all sides and perspectives, including technology, business, and management," he noted.

       Speaking in connection with the intensified integrated patrols in 2018, Nurbaya noted that the patrolling would not only prevent forest fires but also further deforestation.

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