No option but to dump mud in river: Agency

Mud has been dumped in the Porong River

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo

For almost a year now, mud gushing out of a botched gas exploration well in Sidoarjo, East Java, has been dumped in the Porong River.

It has resulted in worsened sedimentation and poses a threat to the river's ecosystem and the nearby Madura Strait.

The sedimentation is clearly visible along the spillway in the Pejarakan district in Porong, some two kilometers from the mudflow's source. The water is gray and occasional wisps of white smoke can be seen coming off it.

Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency spokesman Ahmad Zulkarnaen said the agency was fully aware of the risks of dumping the mud in the river but not really have any other option.

"We have to continue dumping there since the mudflow volume has continued to increase. In the meantime, dumping the mudflow to the river is the only solution," Ahmad told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He said the agency was attempting to deal with various problems related to the mudflow, including the anger of residents.

"When the mudflow's volume becomes overwhelming we have to channel it to the available ponds but residents living around the ponds get angry," Ahmad said, adding that people generally calmed down when the mud was dumped in Porong River, which they regarded as a safe location.

The agency, he said, was also aware that the increased sedimentation would change the river's ecosystem.

"We realize this, but what can we do?" he said.

Executive director of the Indonesian Forum for Environment in East Java Ridho Syaiful Ashari said he was surprised the agency continued to dump the mud in the river.

"The ecosystem is clearly changed and that's not it, the worst part is, (the move will) cause the death of coastal area economies," Ridho told the Post.

He said many residents were suffering because of the agency's decision as many residents along the river use its water for drinking and bathing.

"The agency should think about this, not to mention (what will happen) if the pollution reaches the Madura Strait and pollutes the Java sea," he said, urging the agency to find an environmentally-friendly solution.

Meanwhile, displaced mudflow victims in Porong continued their hunger strike Monday, although their numbers have declined from around 200 to some 40 people.

But their action has become more severe, with participants chaining their feet together.

Some 3,000 displaced residents in the market have rejected food provided by Sidoarjo regency Social Services office, preferring cash instead.