JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Central Java Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency (BCPB) officers Monday morning (Feb 17) start cleaning up the ash and sands of erupted Kelud mountain covering the temples in central Java region such as Borobudur, Plaosan, and Prambanan, Kompas.com reported.
The cleaning up of temples might take 7-10 days and the temples’ authority decided to close for tourists and visitors during the cleaning up period. As a result, the temples would face potential loss of Rp500 million per day.
Marsis Sutopo, the head of Borobudur Conservation Agency, said Mount Kelud’s ash was more corrosive than Mounth Merapi’s ash, so the temples’ authority opt to use brooms and dust pans to clean up the ash and sands, instead of using soda powder to neutralise the chemical substance.
The eruption of Mount Kelud on Thursday (13 Feb.) spewed ash and sand 17 kilometres into the air. The government concerns with the acidic soot which would accelerate the porosity of ancient temple stones. (oktofani@yosefardi.biz)