Jambi airport tells farmers to move their farms for safety

Jon Afrizal , The Jakarta Post , Jambi | Thu, 09/04/2008 10:16 AM | The Archipelago

Jambi branch authorities of the state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II on Tuesday called for farmers working fields near Jambi airport runways to relocate their farms to avoid future accidents.

The head of Jambi's Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport in central Sumatra, Basuki Mardianto, said the demand was aimed to protect farmers with fields adjacent to the runways from accidents such as occurred Thursday.

He also called on the Jambi municipal administration and the local agriculture agency to help.

"I call on the administration and relevant institutions to relocate farmers from the airport area and find new land for them," Basuki said.

He added farmers have often disrupted airport activities. Burning garbage near the runway has obscured the runway marker lights and reduced airplane visibility.

Basuki said cultivating fields near the airport would continue to pose a danger to farmers.

On Thursday, a farmer's house was rammed by a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-200 which overran the runway and rolled into an adjacent field.

The accident caused Seno to lose his right arm and left leg after they were amputated due to severe injury. Seno's son Rahmat suffered two broken legs and Seno's his wife Pasti sustained minor injuries.

The family is among some 150 people who cultivate land in the airport vicinity.

The Jambi fishery agency had also called for the farmers to relocate.

"We told them to find other fields to work but the farmers stayed put because no one has found proper replacement land," said Harlek, head of the agency's food and agriculture division.

"And we cannot help them."

He said that his agency provided agriculture training and know-how to farmers but could not relocate them.

He said the farmers, grouped in five farming associations, had cultivated 113 of 197 hectares in the airport area for almost 40 years.

They have been the primary vegetable suppliers in Jambi.

"They can supply markets across Jambi with more than five tons of vegetables per day," Harlek said.

"The municipality should relocate these farmers gradually to keep the vegetable markets stable."

"We hope the municipality can provide the farmers with new, proper land."

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