VP DENIES GOVT HAS GIVEN UP ON OVERCOMING LAPINDO MUDFLOW

Jakarta, Sept 12 (ANTARA) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla has dismissed assumptions that the government had given up hope of ever being able to stop the Lapindo mudflow in Sidoarjo, Central Java, but admitted it was a difficult problem.
"The government has not given up but neither does the mudflow seem to want to stop," Kalla told reporters here after performing Friday prayers.
Up till now, the Sidoarjo Mudflow Handling Team (BPLS) was still performing its duties at the location and continuing to do as much as it could, Kalla said.
Meanwhile, the government had already spent considerable amounts of funds to mitigate the suffering of the local people affected by the disaster, he said.
"We have not given up. We have so far not been able to halt the mud's outpouring but we have not stopped taking care of the people there," he said.
The vice president said there were studies suggesting the mudflow could continue for as long as 20 years. Therefore, he said, all layers of Indonesian society should pray for the mudflow to stop.
"Especially during this month of Ramadhan, let us all pray for the mudflow to stop soon," he said.