Sidoarjo DPRD Urges Immediate Action on Critical Lapindo Embankment Points

Sidoarjo, East Java - The Chairman of the Sidoarjo Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Abdillah Nasih, has requested that the government and the Sidoarjo Mud Flow Control Centre (PPLS) immediately address critical points along the Lapindo mud levees to prevent risks to the public.

“If there are several critical levee points, whether in the Siring Village area adjacent to the railway tracks and Porong Highway, or in other locations, they must be anticipated immediately. This is because the condition around the mud area is also experiencing land subsidence, which could increase potential risks for the surrounding community,” Nasib stated in Sidoarjo on Friday.

According to him, if the mud levels at critical levee points, such as in the Siring Village area, increase and seepage points appear along the levee, the potential for a levee breach rises. Such an event could disrupt train travel as well as the mobility of people using the Porong Highway.

He expressed concern that if the levee were to breach, the impact of paralysing transportation to and from Sidoarjo via Porong would be even greater.

He explained that the Sidoarjo DPRD plans to encourage coordination between the local government, relevant agencies, and the Sidoarjo Mud Flow Control Centre (PPLS) to accelerate handling measures at these vulnerable points.

“Handling measures include patching, raising the height of the levees, and optimising the flow of mud into the Porong River to reduce mud pressure in certain areas,” he said.

In addition to physical interventions, he also encouraged the implementation of a digital-based early warning system at several vulnerable levee points to speed up the detection of emergency conditions.

Furthermore, Nasih urged the PPLS to be more transparent with the public and the media regarding field conditions and data, ensuring transparency in the management of the disaster that has persisted since 2006.

According to field observations by ANTARA, the mud level in the Siring Village levee area appears high, nearly reaching the height of the levee itself. Meanwhile, in several other parts of the mud area, water seepage has appeared, suspected to be originating from the levee.