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AKARTA: Residents living near Mt. Merapi should be evacuated because the volcano will remain active for the next century at least, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) says.

The BNPB said an exclusion zone of 1,300 hectares spanning Sleman regency, Yogyakarta and 10 hectares around Balerante village in Kemalang Klaten district, Central Java, should be established.

“The position of the lava dome to the south causes hot gas clouds to travel to Gendol river and Opak river,” Sutopo Purwo, the agency’s information and public relation head, said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

There are 2,682 families living in the proposed exclusion zone, and 617 families who are risk of being killed by lahar flows. The administration has produced three relocation scenarios.

First, build permanent housing complexes in Gondang, Kuwang, Plosokerep, Dongkelsari and Kentingan. Second, pay the villagers for their lands and allow them to organize their own relocation.

Third, provide the villagers with 12.5 hectares of farm land in Argomulyo village in exchange for giving up their lands. — JP