REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani has said anticipatory steps must be taken to deal with the impact of the land and forest fires.
"We have anticipated the impact of haze on health, education and social sectors," Puan said after attending a limited cabinet meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo here on Friday.
She said the efforts to tackle the haze disaster that hit five provinces in the country are now being coordinated by the Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
Puan explained that the Health Minister has dispatched assistance, taken anticipatory steps and mobilized matters relating to health.
"We have sent 33.8 tons of health assistance such as medication and face masks in anticipation of the fallout of the haze," noted Puan.
The Coordinating Minister said the handling of the haze impact is also based on the air pollution standard index (ISPU) in the five provinces.
Puan explained that based on the ISPU reading in South Sumatra, the pollution index has reached 300 which is categorized as unhealthy, even hazardous to health. Puan's office is providing information to the people in areas affected by haze.
She said the Education Minister has also made preparations for assisting school children or students whose schools faced closure due to the impact of haze.
"Preparations should be made to help them because they could not go to school when the ISPU reached 200 or 300," she said.
She said such a condition should be tackled by the Minister of Education by taking anticipatory measures. Students, for example, can pursue their education through television or radio media.
In essence, all steps should be taken to ensure that the students do not miss their learning process and achieve their curriculum targets.
Besides that, Puan also said the Ministry of Social Affairs has also been assigned to take action to evacuate children, infants and expectant mothers. She said certain locations in haze affected regions have been pre-selected to be used as temporary shelters for refugees.
These shelters will be equipped with filter devices to sterilize the air so that refugees are safeguarded against any respiratory infection.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held a limited cabinet meeting with relevant ministers on Friday to discuss the haze problem plaguing the country and its impact.
"During the limited meeting, chaired by the President, the issue of land and forest fires and their impact was discussed," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung stated here on Friday.
He said President Jokowi had decided to intensify efforts to control land and forest fires under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
Luhut Panjaitan's earlier plan to join President Jokowi during his state visit to the United States was cancelled as he was tasked with the responsibility of handling the forest and land fire extinguishing operations in the field.
"The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs should fly tomorrow along with the Education Minister, Health Minister, Social Affairs Minister and other officials to Kalimantan," Pramono noted.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister is coordinating with 21 agencies to control the impact of fires.
They comprise members from the coordinating ministerial level down to district head and mayoral level. The ranks also cover members from the ministerial level, the Defense Forces (TNI) and National Police.
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