Marselus' Story, Vegetable Farmers In Mataloko's Geothermal Heaven

MATALOKO - Mataloko's solar Terik that afternoon did not dampen Marselus Gone's enthusiasm to clean his vegetable fields from weeds. With his bare hands and muddy feet, this man from Wogo Village, Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara moved from one side by side to another.

Marselus is one of many people in Wogo Village who are in the Geothermal Working Area (WKP) owned by PT PLN (Persero). Not far from the location of the processing field, there is water vapor rising from a puddle of mud that is soaring. The occasionally smelled smell of sulfur does not stem the speed of its hands claiming grass that interferes with oil palm which was planted 3 months ago.

Marselus admitted that he was not disturbed by rumors of crop damage due to steam from geothermal. In fact, he admitted that his plants thrived without fertilizer even though they were only 50 meters from the mud puddle.

"If it's damaging, I don't think it's there. It's safe. There's still an empty plot. On the 1st of the move, it's chili nursery," Marselus told VOI.

Initially, the land was a garden owned by residents of Wogo Village which was then acquired by PLN because it spewed water vapor from geothermal. Marsel along with 5 youths who are members of Karang Taruna Wogo then asked PLN to manage the land to plant vegetables and chilies.

Tit for tat, Marselus' request was then granted by PLN, in fact, this state-owned stun company also provided assistance in the form of vegetable seeds. The garden with dozens of bedeng is also flowed from the spring which is only 1.5 km from the location of the geothermal flare

"We communicate with PLN to try to take advantage of it. We want to prove whether the sulfur effect can kill plants. So far, there is no evidence, right. Meanwhile, chemical fertilizers have not been used. Cheap plant," said Marselus while looking at geothermal steam not far from where we stand.

Safe For Residents' Plants And Livestock

The PLN UIP Southeast Licensing and Communication Manager, Bobby Robson Sitorus, said that actually the area around the hot vapourflow is still safe for the local community to take advantage of. Evidently, not far from the location, there are 10 cows and vegetable plants belonging to Marselus that thrive.

"The sulfur gas that appears is usually already evaporated when it touches the air. Especially if there is wind," he continued

To prove this, PLN then gave permission to the Karang Taruna of Wogo Village to plant the fertile land. PLN then provided assistance in the form of seeds and an hydrate carbonate mineral dolomites that functioned as to increase plant pH.

The pattern of agriculture around this geothermal location has also been carried out by Poco Leok farmers who are geothermal generating sites. He assessed that the location around geothermal needs to be maintained for the needs of people living around the work area.

"If I see it, it's fertile, why don't we do it? There is assistance from the agriculture service. There is assistance from agriculture, to do that management too," said Bobby.