Muaraenim residents upset over oil spill at farming areas

Villagers at Segayam village in Muaraenim, South Sumatera complained that their farming areas could no longer be used for farming activities after an oil pipeline in the area leaked, pouring tons of crude oil into their land, Sriwijaya Pos reported.

They said that although Pertamina had pumped out the leaked oil, they oil residues still polluted most parts of their farming areas." A plant could no longer grow. We have tried to grow vegetables but it failed," one farmer said.

The residents have recently demanded Pertamina to pay Rp 97 million as the compensation for the damage caused by the oil spill, which affected about 8 hectares of farming areas in the Segayam village. But Pertamina rejected the payment saying the villagers' demand was unrealistic.

The spokesman of the local office of Pertamina Hasyim Ali said that the state oil company had agreed to settle the oil remnants at the villagers' farming areas but it was not able to carry out the works because the company's staff had been prevented from entering the areas.

He said that the local administration would soon form a special team to mediate negotiations between Pertamina and the affected villagers over the compensation demand. (*)