Bantar Gebang garbage dump has no permit: Official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City administration has not yet acquired an
\noperational permit for the Bantar Gebang subdistrict in Bekasi to
\noperate as a garbage dump since it began in 1986, an official
\nsaid on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the city's sanitary agency, P.J. Sugiono
\nSuwahjo, said the city administration had only acquired a
\nprincipal permit from the neighboring provincial administration
\nof West Java.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why, but we have only obtained a principal
\npermit from the West Java administration after we appropriated
\nthe land for a garbage dump in 1984,\" Sugiono said.<\/p>\n
He denied an allegation recently aired by the Bekasi
\nlegislative council that the 108-hectare garbage dump was
\noperating illegally.<\/p>\n
Common property development practices rule that developers
\nshould acquire an operational permit before they start
\nconstruction of development projects. A principal permit only
\nvalidates the ownership of the property.<\/p>\n
Bekasi councilors last week accused the Jakarta administration
\nof violating common property development practices. They also
\ndemanded the closure of the garbage dump after all the
\nenvironmental damage it caused to the surrounding neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Sugiono said the city administration would continue using the
\nBantar Gebang subdistrict as its garbage dump site until the year
\n2004.<\/p>\n
\"For the time being, we have no other choice but to continue
\nusing the garbage dump site,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He called on people, especially Bekasi councilors, to be
\ntolerant and avoid issuing emotional statements because Bekasi
\nresidents also used the Bantar Gebang dump as their dump site.<\/p>\n
An average of 700 cubic meters of garbage from Bekasi is
\nthrown in the dump site every day, while Jakartans dispose of
\n23,000 cubic meters of garbage daily.<\/p>\n
Sugiono said the city administration was improving garbage
\nmanagement in the dump site by, among other things, covering the
\ntrash in the dump with soil.<\/p>\n
Bekasi Mayor Nonon Sonthanie demanded, however, that the
\nJakarta administration close four of the five zones in the dump
\nsite.<\/p>\n
\"The four zones are already overloaded. It's no longer capable
\nto receive trash,\" Nonon said in Bekasi on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the Jakarta administration should now open
\nthe 15-hectare area of the fifth zone.<\/p>\n
He regretted that the Jakarta administration had not yet
\ncovered the trash with soil to avoid burning it as announced
\nearlier.<\/p>\n
The mayor acknowledged that Bekasi residents dumped trash in
\nthe dump site free of charge.<\/p>\n
The Bekasi mayoralty would spend Rp 1.5 million (US$187.50)
\nper day if they dumped their trash in the other site, the Setu
\ngarbage dump in Bekasi regency, he said.<\/p>\n
Nonon asked the Jakarta administration to build a permanent
\ncommunity health center in the area to help locals who suffer
\nfrom environmentally related diseases.<\/p>\n
\"A health operation currently conducted from village to
\nvillage is not enough,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Bekasi residents reportedly suffer from a
\nrespiratory disease. The garbage dump has reportedly also
\ncontaminated the residents' water sources. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bantar-gebang-garbage-dump-has-no-permit-official-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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