Jakarta: The Indonesian government has warned all local governments to step up preparedness for potential fires at landfills amid forecasts of extreme weather conditions over the coming months, local media reported on Saturday.
This follows a blaze at a landfill in Tangerang regency, near the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta, which has remained unextinguished for days.
“We have already issued a circular to regional heads to anticipate situations like this (landfill fires). The World Meteorological Organization has also issued a warning about El Nino. This means we must anticipate the potential for fires, as there is a possibility of fires at other landfills across Indonesia,” Indonesian Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono said on Saturday.
He added that the central government had provided a series of technical directives to regents and mayors.