Lapindo Mud Budget Slashed, DPR Demands Public Safety Be Prioritised

A member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Bambang Haryo Soekartono (BHS), has sharply criticised the policy of reducing the operational budget for managing the Lapindo mudflow disaster. He stressed that the government must not sacrifice public safety in the name of budget efficiency.

According to BHS, the operational budget allocated for channelling water and mud towards the Porong River and surrounding areas has been cut significantly, from an initial Rp110 billion to Rp89 billion.

“There has been a budget reduction from 110 to 89 billion. We expect that matters of public safety should not be cut,” BHS said during an inspection of the Lapindo mud eruption centre on Wednesday (17/6).

He emphasised that all operational management processes must continue to be carried out routinely to ensure conditions on the ground remain under control. BHS also reminded that the safety and lives of the public are the top priority and cannot be valued in material terms or against the state budget.

“The budget must not be reduced because the safety of public lives is number one. The price of a public life cannot be bought with a budget. Not a single rupiah of the state budget can justify sacrificing a person,” BHS asserted.

At the end of the interview, Bambang Haryo urged the government to remain focused on rescue and protection measures for affected residents. He requested that the allocation of funds for the Lapindo mudflow management be evaluated immediately and that no further cuts be made.

“The community needs to be saved, so do not reduce the budget. The budget for the Lapindo mudflow,” Bambang Haryo concluded.

It was previously reported that the condition of the Lapindo mud retaining embankment at point 71 in Siring Subdistrict, Porong District, Sidoarjo, is in critical status. The volume of mud and water has exceeded the 15-metre-high embankment, and if not addressed promptly, it will threaten the railway line and the national road.

The Sidoarjo Mud Control Centre (PPLS) must now work extra hard to anticipate potential overflows. This is because mud sediment in Siring Subdistrict has surpassed the embankment, thereby threatening the railway tracks and the main road.

A similar disaster threat also looms over other areas, as the embankment in Gempolsari Village, Tanggulangin, is reported to be in the same critical condition. At several points, seepage of muddy water has already begun to appear, triggering deep concern.