South Sumatra Governor initiates wildfire prevention measures

South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru has announced several initiatives to strengthen the prevention and management of forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency.

To accelerate response times in high-risk areas, the Governor is initiating the formation of five sub-district level Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) units. These units will be established in the Cengal, Pampangan, Tulung Selapan, Pangkalan Lampam, and Sungai Menang sub-districts.

Additionally, in an effort to involve the public in identifying perpetrators, Herman Deru has pledged a reward of Rp10 million for citizens who capture individuals responsible for land burning and hand them over to the authorities. This move follows a similar initiative by the Regent of OKI, who offered a Rp5 million reward. The Governor emphasized that community involvement is crucial to addressing the health risks and environmental impacts caused by the fires.