Police monitor wildfire areas to prevent illegal land conversion
Police have ramped up postfire monitoring to ensure that unscrupulous actors or uninformed residents do not exploit burnt land for cultivating cash crops, including oil palm.
Police in Riau have increased postfire surveillance to deter illegal land conversion for cash crops such as oil palm following recent wildfires. Riau Police Chief Spokesman Akmadi emphasized that monitoring remains crucial even after fires are extinguished, as the cycle of karhutla fire handling cannot be broken. Akmadi stated that the authorities aim to prevent parties from exploiting the situation for personal gain.
Many fire-affected locations in Riau, particularly in forest areas, display signs prohibiting land cultivation and other activities. These signs were installed in 2025 to indicate ongoing police observation of the areas.
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