Thousands jobless due to Bromo volcanic ash rains

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - More than 25,000 villagers in Mount Bromo area, East Java, have been made jobless as a result of volcanic ash rains from the mountain so far.

"Villagers in three sub-districts have been affected by Bromo volcanic ash," head of the local service of natural disaster management, Siswanto, said to ANTARA here on Monday.

After meeting with leaders of the districts of Probolinggo, Lumajang, Pasuruan and Malang he said those who lost jobs were from the agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism service sectors and others.

"Their exact number is still being calculated in each of the districts but aid in the form of 15 kilograms of rice, sugar and sidedish food per person per week has been disributed," he said.

Villagers outside the three sub-districts in the district of Probolinggo will be employed to functionalize transportation routes and water ways clogged by volcanic ash so far, he said.

"If the budget is still too short, we have already prepared a budget for 2011 as support. What is clear is the emergency response is focussed on people," he said.

ANTARA learned in Pasuruan volcanic ash spewed by Mount Bromo has crippled tourist industry in the region.

The volcanic ash has damaged infrastructures in the tourism areas.

The Penanjakan pass in Pasuruan which is the destination of tourists has been covered with ash up to 10 to 15 centimeter thick making the branches of the trees broken and some trees have even been unrooted.

A power outage once occured in Penanjakan and some villages in Sukapura, Probolinggo while many roads had been covered with ash making them slippery when rain comes.

The sea sand in the Bromo caldera is still closed practically making Bromo tourism activities along the way from Probolinggo crippled.