GOVT NEVER GIVES UP IN HANDLING LAPINDO MUDFLOW DISASTER: SPOKESMAN

Surabaya, Indonesia, Sept. 12 (ANTARA) - The government will never give up in handling the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Porong, Sidoarjo District, East Java Province, a presidential spokesman said.
"The government never gives up. Mr. Joko Kirmanto (public works minister) also never said that he would give up," presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng said here on Friday.
The government has continued dealing with various issues arising due to the Lapindo mudflow disaster, and the handling is focused on three aspects, namely the mudflow problem itself, the social impacts by providing compensation to the people, and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructures, according to Malarangeng.
"We deal with the three aspects continuously. The mudflow is being dealt with, the compensation is being processed, and the damaged infrastructures are being repaired," he said.
However, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, in the meeting with the Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Thursday, reportedly said the government had taken the worst option that the mudlfow could not be ceased, so the handling of its impacts would be adjusted to the option.
The minister said that the social and technical handling of the mudflow was very difficult, while infrastructure construction faced an obstacle of land clearing.
The incessant mudflow has so far submerged nine villages covering a total area of 628 hectares.
Dams stretching 552.26 hectares have been built to hold the muds coming out from 98 spots.