President Jokowi had decided to intensify efforts to control land and forest fires under the coordination of the chief minister for political, legal and security affairs.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held a limited cabinet meeting with relevant ministers on Friday to discuss the haze problem plaguing the country and its impacts.

"During the limited meeting, chaired by the president, the cases of land and forest fires and their impacts were 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 chief minister for political, legal and security affairs.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitans 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 reduce the impact of fires. They comprise members from the coordinating ministerial level down to district head and mayoral levels. The ranks also covers members from the ministerial level, the Defense Forces (TNI), and National Police.

In conducting his tasks, the chief political, legal and security minister is directly answerable to the president and is expected to simplify the process.

The president also urged the coordinating minister for peoples empowerment and culture to formulate steps relating to education, health, social, and other areas.

In the meantime, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has recorded a total of 2,742 hotspots of forest, peatland, and plantation fires across Indonesia on Thursday.

Of the total hotspots, Papua had 744, South Sumatra 703, Central Kalimantan 462, West Kalimantan 290, and East Kalimantan 153, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman of the BNPB, said here on Thursday.

"Thick haze is still shrouding Sumatra, Kalimantan, and parts of Papua," he noted.

The haze has also reduced visibility in the affected regions.

"This morning, the visibility was 1.2 thousand meters in Padang, 50 meters in Pekanbaru, 700 meters in Jambi, one thousand meters in Palembang, 400 meters in Pontianak, 300 meters in Ketapang, and 100 meters in Palangkaraya," he added.

The pollutant standard index in Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan has reached a hazardous level. In Palembang, South Sumatra, the index reached a very unhealthy level, while in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, it was at an unhealthy level.

The fact that inhabitants of the haze-hit regions have been exposed to dangerous smoke is a matter of grave concern.

The BNPB has been working hard to put out the fires through land and aerial operations by conducting water bombing and inducing artificial rains.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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