JBIC, JICA offers funds to stop Lapindo mudflow
Wednesday, May 16 2007 - 01:33 AM WIB
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japan-Indonesia Corporation Agency (JICA) have offered funds to build a cover dam to end mudflow from Lapindo’s Banjar Panji 1 Well, Investor Daily reported on Wednesday.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro disclosed that the two Japanese organizations had held a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, during which they explained the effectiveness of a cover dam in stopping mudflow from the well.
“The Japanese technology has been applied in the Philippines and the outcome was very satisfactory,” said Purnomo in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The government is seeking alternative methods to stop the mudflow as the "relief well" technology that has been appplied to overcome the mudflow has not yet brought satisfactory results and is very expensive.
According to Purnomo, the dam will be built around the source of the mudflow with a height of 40 meters and a diameter of 120 meters. The mudflow is expected to stop due to pressure from the mud accumulation in the dam.
Purnomo said it remained unclear if the funds offered by the two Japanese organizations were in the form of grant or loans. The government through the Executive Board for Overcoming Sidoardjo Mud Flow (BPLS) was counting the amount of funds needed for building the cover dam, he went on. (*)