Committee finds 98 new mudflow spots in Sidoarjo, blames handling

Jakarta, NU Online
Sidoarjo Mudflow Handling Supervisory Team on Thursday announced that it had found 98 new mudflow spots at the mudflow site in Porong, Sidoarjo.

Priyo Budi Santoso, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives team, said the agency handling the mudflow was not doing enough to prevent new mudflow spots.<>

The new spots, Priyo said, would damage more villages around the site. At least three more villages -- Jatirejo, Mindi and Siring Barat -- have been severely damaged, he said.

"But we haven't heard anything new about how to handle the mudflow," he said, as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com on Thursday.

PT Lapindo Brantas spokesman Imam Agustino said they were having difficulty handling the mudflow because they had not figured out what was the main cause of the disaster.

He said the company was trying to shut the flow in four different ways: re-entering the Banjarpanji well (Lapindo gas exploration well), side-tracking the well, creating a monitoring well and creating a relief well.

"But without any analysis, these are mere speculations," he said, adding that the company had spent more than Rp 873 billion (US$93.4 million) on the effort.

Djoko Kirmanto, Public Works Minister and steering committee chairman of the Sidoarjo Mudflow Handling Agency (BPLS), said that out of the 98 mudflows, about 50 were still active. Djoko said a geological diagnosis of the disaster was predicted to finish next year. (jp/dar)