Villagers inspect the path of a pyroclastic flow from the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 22, 2016. Seven people have died and two are in critical condition after Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island erupted on Saturday, said an Indonesian disaster agency official, adding that the army and police are still searching for survivors in the area. AP/Binsar Bakkara

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government would build 14 dams to protect residents in North Sumatra's district of Karo from cold lava flood, as an impact of Mount Sinabung eruption. The dams to be built in stages to 2019. "The dams are built to prevent cold lava from flowing over housing area and farming in Karo," head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Willem Rampangilei Willem said on Wednesday.

Willem explained construction of the dams has been one of infrastructure development project, as part of rehabilitation and relocation process after the eruption of Sinabung. The project would be implemented by local administrations in cooperation with the central government.

Willem said, of the 14 dams that would be built until 2019, construction of 10 of the dams would be completed in 2018. While the remaining four dams would be finalized in 2019.

The authority, he added, would need light tower, safety warning system, and six units of heavy equipment to clean up the cold lava.

"BNPB has appreciated Karo administration for its success to limit the negative impact of Mount Sinabung eruption in its latest eruption on February 18," he said after inspecting development of a dam in Tiganderket subdistrict.

The local government's quick response has saved many lives when the volcano erupted again, he noted. "As we could not predict until when this volcano will stop since its first eruption in 2010, people should adhere to government's advice not to stay or make any activities within a certain radius from Mount Sinabung," he said.

In 2010 Sinabung erupted for the first time after 410 years.

ANTARA



