Lapindo Mudflow

Land Subsidence Hard to Avoid
Monday, 04 September, 2006 | 17:35 WIB

Land subsidence in areas submerged by Lapindo Brantas Inc.’s mud is impossible to avoid as long as the mud is still flowing.

“Land subsidence cannot be stopped unless the mudflows are halted,” said Amien Widodo, Head of the Disaster Study Center at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, yesterday (3/8).

Geologist Andang Bachtiar is of a similar opinion.

“As long as the mud continues flowing, the land will subside,” said Andang.

These remarks of the two experts were comments about earlier news reports that two square kilometers area that is flooded by hot mud has subsided five centimeters.

The land subsidence occurred due to the vacuum in soil layer after the continuous mudflows.

However, two other experts still doubt that soil has subsided as has been feared.

In Jakarta, the Environment State Ministry has said that it considers the land subsidence around the Lapindo mudflows is not serious.

“The subsidence is slow, it’s not yet serious,” said Rasio Ridho Sani, the Assistant Deputy for Mining, Energy, Oil and Gas B3 Processing and B3 Waste at the Environment State Ministry, when contacted by Tempo yesterday (3/9).

On the other hand however, in the opinion of Sidoarjo’s Deputy Regent Syaiful Illah, land subsidence, whether it be quick or slow, is still dangerous.

“Any kind of land subsidence is dangerous,” said Syaiful.

He also said that the Sidoarjo Government does not have a choice except to relocate the residents in the area.

Source : TEMPO Interactive