Indonesia Govt Responsible for Those Gas Blasts

If there is a tragic happening which has continuously scared a lot of Indonesians over the past few months, it is most likely the gas cylinder blasts! What really had happened? Since the government’s policy of converting the use of kerosene into Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has been implemented 2007, dozens of gas cylinder blasts have occurred in various parts of the country.

The blasts have not only injured and even also killed dozens of people, they have also ruined the houses and property of the ill-fated victims. From June 2 to July 1, 2010, at least seven gas cylinder-related accidents had occurred in the cities of Surabaya, Bekasi, Jakarta, Malang and Medan, killing six people, wounding seven others, and damaging 38 houses.

Local print and electronic media reported that the blasts were more frequently related to the three-kilogram gas cylinders than the 12-kilogram bigger ones. It means that the accidents are closely related to the implementation of the government’s conversion policy. Due to these gas cylinder bursts, a lot of ordinary Indonesians have felt they were being terrorized. Many have returned to woods and kerosene while others keep using the LPG cylinders for cooking on their stove.

"I am scared of the gas cylinder blasts that I often seen on TV news bulletins over the past two months," said Ida, a resident of Kampung Baru village, Babalan sub-district, Langkah district, North Sumatra.

However, the 63-year-old woman, who is now relying only on a pension as a retired teacher and living with her husband at her modest house, said would continue using gas stoves as kerosene has become too expensive and increasingly difficult to get.

"I have been using gas stoves for the past two months as kerosene has become difficult to obtain these days. Although I can still afford it, but then I have to pay Rp7,500 a liter of it, and its quality has gotten worse. It may have been mixed with diesel oil by irresponsible people. With three children are now living in Java.

In avoiding any such accidents, Ida said she preferred the 12 kilogram gas cylinders to the three-kilogram ones although the the latter are cheaper. In preventing the people like her self from the LPG cylinder-related blast terror, she demanded the government to immediately solve the problem.

Ida’s demand is acceptable and needs to be responded to soon. In its July 2 editorial, Kompas, reminded government of its responsibilities of protecting the people. Through its editorial entitled "Protecting the People", this leading daily newspaper underlined the government’s pledge to improve the management of its kerosene-LPG conversion policy implementation.

The government had vowed to withdraw the three-kilogram gas cylinders, gas pipes and valves (regulators) which did not met the Indonesian National Industrial Standards (SNI) from the people.

All the withdrawn devices were then replaced with those meeting the SNI. In implementing its kerosene-LPG conversion policy, at least 45 million packages of gas stoves and three-kilogram gas cylinders had been distributed to the people for free more than two years ago.

In addition to the 45 million free gas stoves and cylinders, Kompas noted that other 25 million gas cylinders were currently available in the local market. "The people surely do not know about those bad quality gas stoves, cylinders, pipes, and valves. It means that the gas cylinder-related blasts can still occur at any time and place."

"At the same time, while the government remains busy with the discourse of who does what as well as how in meeting the needed supplies and distribution, the gas stove blasts are likely still a threat," the newspaper warned. The government itself is responsive enough to the blast incidents. Through the state oil company, PT Pertamina, it has been trying to secure the use of gas stoves.

As recently stipulated by Pertamina’s Marketing and Business Director Djaelani Sutomo, the recommended SNI gas pipes and cylinders to replace the bad quality ones would have been available in West Java and Jakarta on July 6. They are not distributed free, but those wishing to get a set of these good quality gas stoves and pipes would have to pay Rp45,200.

Whether this government’s effort is effective in avoiding gas cylinder blasts remains to be seen. What the government need is to always keep in mind the safety and security of its people as its "raison d’etre" (reason for being). Therefore, as warned by Indonesia’s news channel and Metro TV, "don’t send bombs to Indonesian homes".