Ganjar Pranowo Urges Prabowo to Declare Forest and Land Fires a National Disaster

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Chairperson of PDI-P and former 2024 presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo has urged President Prabowo Subianto to declare forest and land fires (karhutla) a national disaster.

Ganjar made this statement via his official X account on Tuesday (20/10/2026). In the video, Ganjar is seen speaking amidst a haze of smoke.

"Declare karhutla as a national disaster," Ganjar wrote, as quoted on Wednesday (21/10/2026).

He then encouraged Prabowo to maximize resource mobilization.

He stated that the government should deploy more trained personnel and convert land, sea, and air transport equipment into firefighting tools in a massive, well-coordinated manner.

"Refocus the budget. Temporarily reallocate funds from major programs to address this national disaster of karhutla. For what? Besides firefighting, also to support the economy of affected citizens, and provide social assistance to residents, traders, and MSMEs, for example," he said.

"The government should also cover medical expenses for affected citizens, distribute masks, oxygen, and other necessities for the public," Ganjar added.

Furthermore, Ganjar suggested that schools should be closed in areas engulfed by karhutla smoke.

He mentioned that children can still learn through distance learning methods (PJJ) for their safety and health.

Meanwhile, Ganjar also called for relevant officials to work near karhutla sites to understand what it is like to live surrounded by smoke.

"Deploy all relevant officials to work in the karhutla areas. By personally experiencing the difficulty of breathing in thick smoke and observing the ground conditions, officials will better understand the urgency so that response can be expedited," Ganjar emphasized.