Hot mud geysers on the site at a geothermal power plant drilling project at Mataloko village in Ngada regency, East Nusa Tenggara, are growing in number and steadily spewing, frightening local residents.

As of Wednesday, the outflows have flooded nearby plantations and destroyed cropland as plant employees improvise mitigating ditches and geological experts still on the way.  

The first three eruption points have seen sporadic geysers of mud and materials that have yet to be analyzed.  The geysers, as high as 1.5 meters are spewing hot mud measured at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius. The eruptions have by now formed a crater 100 meters across.

Initially the outbursts broke through the surface in only three spots. Now, however, a number of other eruption sites have formed. Residents have expressed concerns the mud could contaminate their wells or cause various illnesses.

Head of the communications agency for East Nusa Tenggara province Eduard Gana said in Kupang on Thursday his office was in the process of coordinating with Ngada regency authorities to verify the extent of the impact of the hot mud on the local area.

Eduard said they were also coordinating with officials from relevant agencies, including health and mining.  “We are just waiting for the results of their assessment,” he said.

Several residents said they had stopped employees of the geothermal power project from digging a ditch to channel the outflow into a nearby river, for fear the mud would contaminate their source of water.

“That ditch has overflowed by now and the mudflow has inundated residents’ corn fields,” said one villager who asked not to be identified.

At least 300 people in 30 families live near the geothermal drill site.

“We urge those responsible for the power generation project to get rid of the mudflow eruptions as soon as possible so they don’t damage our crops,” the resident said.

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