Surabaya – Around 500 residents from Banjarasri village and surrounding villages in Tanggulangin district in Sidoarjo, East Java, rallied Wednesday against Lapindo Brantas Inc.'s plan to drill a new gas well.

They are afraid of facing mudflows like the one in nearby Porong district, which is located only three kilometers from their villages.

The rally started Wednesday morning in front of the Tanggulangin I well area. Residents pasted banners and posters on the fences surrounding the well to express their disagreement.

Action coordinator Khoirul Umam said the residents were against the drilling because the site was in the middle of their settlements.

"All of a sudden, they plan to drill. There were no announcements beforehand about this, or security issues. What if what happened in Porong happens here?" he said.

"The land was bought from my grandfather. He was told the buyer wanted to use it for a krupuk (crackers) business, but they made it into a well instead. So from the beginning there was no information [on the drilling plan]," he said. (nat)