UGM Observer Values Plumpang Depot Transfer Option Faster Than Relocation Of Residents' Settlements

Residents' settlements were burned to the ground by the Pertamina Plumpang Depot fire on Friday night March 3. (Between-M Risyal Hidayat)

YOGYAKARTA - Energy economic observer at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Fahmy Goodhi said the transfer of the Pertamina Plumpang Depot was the right option to prevent the tragedy of repeated fires in the future.

"The option of moving the Pertamina Plumpang Depot is the right and fast option, for several reasons. First, the fire suppressor started with the Pertamina Plumpang Depot, not the resident's house," said Fahmy in his statement, Monday, March 6, which was confiscated by Antara.

The next reason, according to Fahmy, is that the Pertamina Plumpang Depot can be carried out faster than relocating residents' houses in the area.

"The transfer of the Pertamina Depot can be decided quickly by Pertamina's directors, while the decision to relocate the population area is longer because it involves him.

He assessed that currently the location of the Pertamina Plumpang Depot is very inappropriate because it is in the middle of a densely populated area and there is not enough buffer water needed for the pipe cooling process.

In fact, according to Fahmy, the distribution of fuel from the refinery to Pertamina Depot uses pipes that partly pass through the population area, so that when the pipe catches fire it will definitely cause fires for the residents' houses around it.

"With this reason, there is only one word for moving the Pertamina Plumpang Depot in the shortest possible time," he said.

The third fire occurred in the Pertamina Plumpang Depot and Pertamina Oil Refinery, according to him, indicating that the safety system is very bad, under international standard which requires zero accidents (zero accidents) for staretgis and high risk assets.

The Pertamina Plumpang depot, North Jakarta caught fire on Friday night March 3. The DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded 17 deaths in the incident. In addition, there were 49 people seriously injured and 2 people lightly injured.

While reviewing one of the fire victims posts at RPTRA Rasela Rawabadak Selatan, Koja, North Jakarta, Sunday (5/3), President Joko Widodo asked SOE Minister Erick Thohir and Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono to immediately find a solution to the incident.

"I have ordered the Minister of SOEs and the Governor of DKI to immediately find a solution to the incident in Plumpang, especially because this is a dangerous zone. It can no longer be lived in, but there must be a solution. The Plumpang could be shifted to reclamation or the population being shifted to relocation," said Jokowi.