Jakarta (ANTARA) – House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani urged the government to adopt an integrated approach to forest and land fires, citing recurring threats to public health, economies, education and transportation.
Speaking in Jakarta on Friday, Puan said smoke from fires can affect communities across regions, making public safety and health key measures of the government’s response.
She said emergency measures should extend beyond firefighting to include medical protection, educational support and direct assistance for families affected by smoke and fires.
Puan called for closer coordination among central and regional governments, local authorities, communities and land managers, saying rapid response is critical to limiting damage.
She said delays in tackling fires increase the costs and resources needed to contain them.
Puan also backed the Environment Ministry’s legal action against 21 business entities linked to fires across seven provinces and called for transparent investigations.
She urged authorities to keep the public informed about law enforcement progress and sanctions against parties found responsible for the fires.
Environment Ministry data released on September 2 showed field verification and official warnings were underway for 11,404 hectares of fire-damaged land linked to corporate entities.
West Kalimantan had the most implicated companies, with seven, followed by South Sumatra and South Kalimantan with four each, Central Kalimantan with three, and three other provinces with one each.
Puan said the House would maintain oversight of the national response and urged the government to develop a long-term strategy to prevent recurring forest and land fires.
She said forest and land fires should not become an annual burden passed to future generations, urging the government to break the cycle.
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Translator: Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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