By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Mar 12: A long-term strategic plan to combat fire outbreak in the forest area, especially for peat fires in Kuala Baram, Miri, will be submitted to the state government for endorsement, says Deputy State Secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.
Ik Pahon stated that a meeting on the long term prevention measures would be held today (Mar 12) with relevant authorities at Resident Miri office.
The meeting is a follow-up to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas’ visit on Mar 2 to Miri regarding the issues.
Uggah is the chairman of the State Disaster Management Committee.
“We will discuss the five-year plan and will submit to the State government for endorsement,” he disclosed when met by local media at Tudan Watch Tower on Thursday morning.
Among those suggested may be planting crops on empty lands within the area.
“Perhaps we could turn the land into a productive economic area,” he said.
Therefore, he said, landowners and small-farmers could be organised to plant their crops within those areas as part of long-term prevention efforts as well as to fully utilize the land.
“For example, within the next five years we are planning to fully utilize at least 10 to 20 per cent of the area within 8,000 hectares of the land. We might not be able to stop the peat fires 100 per cent, but at least we come up with a plan to reduce it,” he said.
He noticed that peat fires had been a perennial occurrence in Kuala Baram and with the coming of the dry season especially in June and July, resulted in smoke and thick haze conditions which will affect the health of local residents. —DayakDaily
