By: Dede August *)
Jakarta, CIDISS – The threat of a maximum of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of 10 billion as stated in article 108 of Law No. 32 of 2009 about the Protection and Environmental Management has not deterrent effect for fire setters. In the district. Bengkalis, Riau, an unscrupulous civil servants initials BP on March 17, 2016 yesterday arrested by local police for allegedly burning an area of 3 hectares. Whether what he had in his mind so that he dare to burn 3 hectares of land, whereas in catastrophic forest fires in June until October 2015, Riau is one of the areas covered by haze. The experience did not seem able to realize BP that such actions endanger the people around there.
Throughout June until October 2015, the Indonesian government is very preoccupied with catastrophic smog from forest and land fires that hit several provinces in Indonesia. According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), losses from land and forest fires that occurred during June till October 2016 reached 221 trillion and a spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation, JA Barata, on 16 September 2015, said, there are as many as 13 airports were closed, namely 9 airports in The island of Borneo, and four airports on the island of Sumatra. So it is clear that, land and forest fires is dangerous and harmful.
Although time is off, it turns out until March 13, 2016, there are still many fires are lit in Indonesia. Data BNPB said that there were 151 hot spots in Indonesia. In East Kalimantan 76 hotspots in Riau 45 hotspots, Aceh 11 hotspots, North Borneo 7 hotspots, Central Sulawesi 2 hotspots, Gorontalo 2 hotspots, South Sulawesi 2 hotspots, North Maluku 1 fires and East Java 1 point fire. So what does make these hotspots happen?
Head of Data Information and Public Relations BNPB, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said, “The cause land and forest fires remain are the same, namely due to carelessness and arson. That is deliberately burned.” So it is clear that there are still certain parties who do not seem to know that there are rules that prohibit us to burning land. Or, rather, they actually know, but they just ignore it and still burn the land because the cost is cheaper, just start with a matches only.
Disaster haze in 2015 and should be able to open our insight that the burning of the field is the wrong way. And this ban was already clearly stated in Article 69 Paragraph 1 letter h of Law No. 32 of 2009 that everyone prohibited for clearing land by burning. Now, it’s time for us to move on land clearing systems without burning (PLTB) in order to reduce the potential for catastrophic forest and land fires, as proclaimed by the Minister of Environment and Forests Siti Nurbaya Bakar.
Although the procedure of PLTB is still in assessment process, things we can do is avoiding to clear the land by burning. Because, the impact is extraordinary harm and endanger our health. So, in addition to providing support, it is our opportunity to innovate in order to create a system of PLTB. Start using a smart and environmentally friendly way to manage land for the preservation of nature. Remember! Stop burning of the field! [DA]
*) CIDISS Contributor