Govt told to reconsider gas pipeline project in Lampung

Lampung Mining Advocators? Network Team (TKATL) has urged the government to reconsider its plan to build its national gas pipeline that will pass through Lampung province, the Investor Daily Indonesia newspaper reported in its Wednesday edition.

TKATL?s chief Hendrik Siregar reminded on Tuesday that if the pipeline project continued, it could damage the province's environment and cause some social impacts like problems related to land acquisition and labor dispute.

With regards land acquisition, Hendrik said: ?Intimidation of local people will generally occur during the land acquisition process for the pipeline and broker companies will try to deceive the land owners. At the end the real losers will be the people,? Hendrik said.

Another issue will be the rise of pest as well as plant diseases near the pipeline, Hendrik said.

He said the government must guarantee the safety of people along the pipeline in case of accident or leakage.(*)