2,500 Personnel to Clean up Volcanic Ashes

Jakarta (Antara) - At least 2,500 personnel have been requisitioned from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police to clean up volcanic ash and sand that has piled up in Kediri City, East Java due to Mount Kelud eruption. The Head of Public Relations and Information of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said in a press release received here on Saturday that Agency chief Syamsul Maarif has coordinated with the TNI and the Police to assist the cleanup effort to clear the ash that covered roads and houses. The joint personnel force will utilize heavy machinery to remove the ash. Sutopo added the volcanic ash layer that covered roads and houses was thick and lessened the visibility range of drivers as dust flew due to the wind and traffic activity. The people in Kediri were also cleaning the ash that covered their houses by working in cooperation with authorities and each other. The agency also suggested people to use masks during any outdoor activities since the ash could be harmful to the health. "The urgent necessities at the moment are masks, cleaning tools and mobile water tanks to help clean up the ash that has come to be deposited," Sutopo said. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), that has been monitoring the spread of ash, explained on Saturday that ash clouds blowing in the wind have left the Java and Sumatra Islands. The volcanic ash was now headed to the west of Sumatra. The VACC has warned several airlines not to fly in the airspace over the affected area. Sutopo added flight operations would have to await an evaluation by various authorities assessing the deposited and flying ash in the area. "Currently, the officers at each airport were busy cleaning the deposited volcanic ashes," Sutopo said. Seven airports were closed after the eruption of Mount Kelud, namely the Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta, Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport in Malang, Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang, Tunggul Wulung Airport in Cilacap, and Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung. Mount Kelud erupted on Thursday, leaving several areas in East Java and Central Java covered with volcanic ash, as well as thousands of people needing to be evacuated.(*) FOTO/Syaiful Arif/Koz/mes/14.