Lapindo Mud

            Mud floods that occurred in Porong or better known as the Lapindo mudflow disaster, is the event discharge mud at a drilling location in the hamlet of Lapindo Brantas Inc. Balongnongo Renokenongo village, Porong district, Sidoarjo regency, East Java, Indonesia. Since the date of May 29, 2006, mudflow caused stagnant settlement areas, agriculture, and industry in three districts in the vicinity, as well as the influence of economic activity in East Java.

 Location mudflow is in Porong, the districts in the southern part of Sidoarjo regency, about 12 km south of the town of Sidoarjo. Sub District is bordered by Gempol (Pasuruan) in the south.

Bursts central location just 150 meters from the well Banjar Panji-1 (BJP-1), which is a gas exploration well owned by Lapindo Brantas Inc. as operator Brantas block. Therefore, to date, the mudflow was allegedly caused by mining activities in the well Lapindo Brantas. Lapindo Brantas own party have two theories about the origin of bursts. First, mudflow associated with procedural errors in drilling activity. Second, mudflow accident occurs simultaneously with drilling due to something unknown. But a lot of material over the inclined incident was caused by drilling.

          What is mud and the surrounding residential areas is one of the main industrial estates in East Java. Not far from the location of bursts are-Gempol Surabaya toll road, highway Surabaya-Malang and Surabaya-Banyuwangi-Pasuruan (lane east coast), and cross the railway line east of Surabaya-Malang and Surabaya-Banyuwangi, Indonesia.

          According to some expert opinion, the mud out due to the fault, a lot of places around East Java to Madura like Mount Anyar in Madura, "mountain" mud also in Central Java (Bleduk Kuwu). This phenomenon has happened dozens, even hundreds of years ago. The number of the Sidoarjo mud flow out of the bowels of the earth around 100,000 cubic meters per day, which is not possible out of the hole the result of "drilling" as wide as 30 cm. And due to the early opinion of WALHI and Environment Minister said the Sidoarjo mud is dangerous, causing levees made on land owned by the community, which is due to a large volume so it is not possible to accommodate all the mud flow and ultimately make the affected land is becoming increasingly widespread.

         A number of attempts have been made to address the mudflow, including by making embankments to stem the mud area. However, the mud kept coming every day, so that at any time can be breached levees, threatening inundation of mud on the settlement near the levee. If within three months of the disaster was not handled, is to make the dam with concrete in an area of ​​342 acres, with 12,000 residents to evacuate. Ministry of Environment said, to accommodate the mud until December 2006, they prepared 150 hectares of new reservoirs. Also there is a backup 342 hectares that could meet the needs until June 2007. Late in October, estimated the volume of sludge has reached 7 million m3. But the plan was canceled for no apparent reason.

       Meteorology and Geophysics predict the rains will come two more monthly. If the estimate precisely, threatened reservoirs excess capacity. Mud was overflowing in all directions, littering the surrounding.

Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS) estimates, the rainy season can make a dike burst, spilling mud dams, submerged highways, and is expected to begin bulldoze mud tracks. This is the danger that will happen in a matter of short term.

Already there are three teams of experts was formed to tackle the impact extinguish the mud below. They work in parallel. Each team consists of representatives from Lapindo, the government, and a number of experts from several universities. Among them, experts from ITS, Bandung Institute of Technology, and the University of Gadjah Mada. Team One, which handles control mud, struggling with outage scenario. The immediate aim is to extinguish the mud and look for a quick solution for the millions of cubic mud that has been spread on the ground. 

Until now overflowing Lumpur Lapindo still happening, when it will end .. ???

*compiled from various sources

Lapindo mudflow some pictures