|
Three weeks of an unceasing, foul-smelling mudflow from a gas
well accident have uprooted more locals in East Java's Porong district
and forced them to shelter in cramped markets, schools and government
offices.
On Sunday, more than 3,800 residents from the four worst-hit villages
near Sidoarjo were staying at newly built Pasar Baru Porong market,
which was scheduled to begin operation in July. Others are camped out
in school buildings, offices and local mosques.
The stench of the steaming mudflow that began May 29 has sickened
hundreds of people, disrupted goods traffic to the nearby East Java
capital of Surabaya and brought industry to a standstill.
The number of people staying at the market has sharply increased
recently from about 2,700 in the first few days after the leak.
Siring village chief Pain Ghozali said their homes were flooded by the
mud.
"They prefer to flee to safety by bringing along their valuables due to
the fear the mudflow will increase," he said.
Other villagers are staying with relatives in Surabaya or other cities.
He urged gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas Inc., which owns
the well, to pay attention to the plight of displaced locals, who were
running short of food and clean water.
Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid prayed with the people
Sunday, and asked them to be calm and level-headed in facing the
problem.
He also urged Lapindo to take responsibility for the incident,
including providing compensation to locals while working to stop the
mudflow.
"Together, we'll ask for compensation from Lapindo. I hope Lapindo will
not run from it (responsibility)," he said in Siring.
Meanwhile, East Java Governor Imam Utomo said the provincial
administration would not use its own funds to assist the residents.
"The provincial administration will not spend money from the budget,"
he said. "All the financial losses experienced by residents and others
should be covered by Lapindo Brantas Inc. Still, Lapindo should
coordinate with the Sidoarjo and East Java administrations."
The mudflow, which has swamped dozens of hectares of rice fields and
stopped the operation of at least 13 companies in its vicinity,
continued its spread Sunday.
Massive traffic congestion remained on the two-lane Surabaya-Gempol
turnpike, with one lane closed.
It also crept closer to the Surabaya-Malang-Banyuwangi railway track,
reaching within 150 meters Sunday from a distance of 300 meters the day
before.
Spokesman of state railway company PT KAI in Surabaya city, Sudarsono,
said Sunday it would set up a monitoring post, but there was not much
else it could do.
"We don't know how to deal with this. Constructing a dam is not
effective to stop the flow so we're just monitoring the situation," he
told The Jakarta Post by phone.
|
