REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- The Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry is optimistic that the 2018 Asian Games to be free from haze. The government has been doing its utmost to prevent forest fires, Rafles Brotestes Panjaitan, director of forest and land fire control of the ministry, said here, recently.

The regional government had declared a wildfire emergency status since February 1 to October 30, 2018. The government has learned from the 2015 forest fire disaster that had burned some 700 thousand hectares of forest and plantation areas in five districts, according to him.

Lately, forest fire accidents were categorized as small and could be extinguished immediately, he said.

In 2016, the South Sumatra administration managed to reduce forest and plantation fires by 97 percent, thanks to early detection and wet dry season.

Last year, the number of wildfires in the province was very few and they did not produce haze.

This year, the South Sumatra government has targeted of having zero forest and plantation fire, particularly because the province and Jakarta will co-host the 18th ASEAN Games from August 18 to Sept 2.

For that purpose, the authorities have intensified monitoring to prevent wildfires.

Panjaitan said other provinces such as Jambi, Riau, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Aceh and Papua, have also step up vigilance against forest fire.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika