Water outburst difficult to curb
Experts from Surabaya's Institute of Technology (ITS) failed Tuesday to plug water that has been gushing from a restaurant for the past three days near the mudflow area at Porong district in Sidoarjo, East Java.
The water began spraying out of the floor of Herman's restaurant in Jatirejo village last Saturday and is around five meters high.
At least 61 other cases of the water gushing from the ground, some times reaching heights of more than a meter, have been recorded in the area.
In May, a similar water flow occurred in a house in Mindi village, although it is now smaller than it was initially.
Experts say the gush in Jatirejo, triggered by the mudflow, is more dangerous than the one in Mindi village and could threaten transportation routes in the area.
The National Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) plans to channel the water into the river through a series of pipes to prevent if from flooding the highway and railway. Residents initially refused to cooperate, however, saying that they were yet to received compensation from Lapindo Brantas Inc, the company at the center of the issue. A number of enterprising residents have started charging entrance fees to look at the water.
ITS team coordinator Djaja Laksana said residents had eventually given in after a series of discussions and allowed the team to work in the area.
"However, we failed today because the water pressure was fluctuating, requiring us to do more research. I'm optimistic it can be stopped," Djaja told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Head of the ITS Disaster Study Center Amien Widodo said it was difficult and risky to plug the water flow in Jatirejo.
"I'm not sure it whether it could be stopped. If it could be plugged it could trigger gushes in other areas. I'm not sure when it will stop by itself, but the step taken by the BPLS to channel water using pipes into the river is correct," he told the Post.
Amien added that the government also needed to clear the mudflow disaster area of people at a maximum four to five kilometers from the origin point because the area was prone to subduction.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, Anwar Nasution, the chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), demanded Tuesday the government immediately perform a thorough investigation on the mudflow to find out whether the mud volcano was man-made or purely a natural disaster.
"The government should also declare the gushing mud a natural disaster so the government can take responsibility and save refugees as quickly as possible," he told reporters after submitting the BPK's findings in 2006 to the House of Representatives' plenary session.
"On the other hand, Lapindo, the company that operates there, should as well take responsibility. Both the government and Lapindo should discuss their share," he said.
After field study and confirmation from Lapindo workers, Anwar said, the BPK discovered that the company had intentionally hired unskilled workers to drill the well and had used an unsuitable method to drill the well.
The BPK estimates the country has suffered Rp 32.89 trillion (US$3.7 billion) in losses due to the mud, while Lapindo had paid only Rp 4.9 trillion as of January.
©Jakarta Post
The water began spraying out of the floor of Herman's restaurant in Jatirejo village last Saturday and is around five meters high.
At least 61 other cases of the water gushing from the ground, some times reaching heights of more than a meter, have been recorded in the area.
In May, a similar water flow occurred in a house in Mindi village, although it is now smaller than it was initially.
Experts say the gush in Jatirejo, triggered by the mudflow, is more dangerous than the one in Mindi village and could threaten transportation routes in the area.
The National Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) plans to channel the water into the river through a series of pipes to prevent if from flooding the highway and railway. Residents initially refused to cooperate, however, saying that they were yet to received compensation from Lapindo Brantas Inc, the company at the center of the issue. A number of enterprising residents have started charging entrance fees to look at the water.
ITS team coordinator Djaja Laksana said residents had eventually given in after a series of discussions and allowed the team to work in the area.
"However, we failed today because the water pressure was fluctuating, requiring us to do more research. I'm optimistic it can be stopped," Djaja told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Head of the ITS Disaster Study Center Amien Widodo said it was difficult and risky to plug the water flow in Jatirejo.
"I'm not sure it whether it could be stopped. If it could be plugged it could trigger gushes in other areas. I'm not sure when it will stop by itself, but the step taken by the BPLS to channel water using pipes into the river is correct," he told the Post.
Amien added that the government also needed to clear the mudflow disaster area of people at a maximum four to five kilometers from the origin point because the area was prone to subduction.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, Anwar Nasution, the chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), demanded Tuesday the government immediately perform a thorough investigation on the mudflow to find out whether the mud volcano was man-made or purely a natural disaster.
"The government should also declare the gushing mud a natural disaster so the government can take responsibility and save refugees as quickly as possible," he told reporters after submitting the BPK's findings in 2006 to the House of Representatives' plenary session.
"On the other hand, Lapindo, the company that operates there, should as well take responsibility. Both the government and Lapindo should discuss their share," he said.
After field study and confirmation from Lapindo workers, Anwar said, the BPK discovered that the company had intentionally hired unskilled workers to drill the well and had used an unsuitable method to drill the well.
The BPK estimates the country has suffered Rp 32.89 trillion (US$3.7 billion) in losses due to the mud, while Lapindo had paid only Rp 4.9 trillion as of January.
©Jakarta Post
Every cloud has a silver lining
