Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho, Jakarta/Sidoarjo – On Tuesday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla offered soothing words to local residents displaced by a huge industrial accident that has spewed tons of foul-smelling mud into their homes.
Those responsible, he said, would be made to provide compensation at whatever price necessary.
A day later, housewife Butin was still cooped up with thousands of others in a traditional market hastily converted into an evacuee center. "We don't need sweet promises," the 45-year-old said as she cradled her nine-month-old son in Pasar Baru Porong market.
"We just want to be able to return home as soon as possible so we can back to work. If there's financial assistance, we haven't got it yet."
Her family, along with about 3,800 other people, has holed up in the newly built market since the accident at the gas well of PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. on May 29. Mudflow from the site has yet to be halted.
On Wednesday, her husband returned to their home in Siring village to see if the 20-cm-high sludge had subsided. He has been unable to work selling traditional snacks. "My baby can't have his milk because my husband has not been able to do his rounds selling snacks," she told The Jakarta Post.
Siring community leader Nazarudin also said residents were anxious to leave the shelters and get back to their homes.
The number of villagers abandoning their homes to stay in shelters, also including government offices and houses of worship, reached 3,815 as of Wednesday, including 298 under-fives.
More may be forced to leave their homes soon, after a two-meter-high dam encircling Kedungbendo village was damaged Wednesday morning. At least six hectares of rice fields and 100 homes were inundated by the mud.
The head of Sidoarjo regency Social Welfare Office, Hisjam Rosidy, said officials were working with Lapindo to determine the amount of compensation for the residents, although a daily allowance was provided.
"Today, some residents have received Rp 20,000 (less than US$2) per person. We're still discussing the amount of compensation for houses or rice fields."
In a meeting Wednesday with representatives from 15 companies whose operations have been halted by the accident, Lapindo agreed to provide Rp 1.4 million in compensation for each of the 1,879 workers temporarily laid off. The amount was based on the minimum wage of Rp 682,000 per month in the regency.
Sidoarjo Manpower Office head Bambang S. Widagdo said the company would pay the compensation within the next two months.
"I've asked the 15 companies which could not operate due to the mudflow to provide data on the number of their workers so they can start receiving the money."
However, Lapindo representative Partogi said the company would immediately pay the compensation. Representatives of the companies were dissatisfied.
The human resources manager of PT Primarindo Pangan Makmur, Agung Budianto, said his company spent an average of Rp 111 million each month to pay its 63 workers. "Now they get only Rp 88 million for two months," he said, saying Lapindo should compensate the workers based on their take-home pay.
Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, whose family is the main shareholder in Lapindo, said he would not visit the accident site because of his other commitments and it was not under his ministerial capacity.
"Besides, it's being handled by Bakrie," he said, referring to his brother Nirwan. He said Lapindo must take responsibility for all the damage caused, including the relocation of residents.